"Whoa, now," calmed the Earl of Farindhal immediately standing up rattled, "You asked to meet in private. This is the most private place I can think of!"

"Step away from my table!" she furiously commanded, "NOW!"

Eryk jumped away almost instantly seeing her eyes filled with fury.

The fireball hissed disappearing in her palms as she moved quickly to his side. She pushed the displaced chair to its proper place and inspected her dark almond desk filled with parchments and tomes.

"Just remember to count your blessing Eryk," she pointed while giving an angry smirk as she closes the books that were open on the table, "I always put a hex on my door. You're just lucky I didn't activate that earlier or else you'll be really crispy now."

Eryk nervously chuckled as he moves further away from the table and her.

"And I don't think that you know but I've put on a proximity spell on this room. That's what triggered me to come here. So, don't think about getting anywhere near my quarters in the future ever again."

"Yes Princess. I will take that into thought."

"Enough with that," she calmly stated now having her neutral mood coming into place feeling satisfied that her privacy has not been muddled up, "Have you got it with you?"

"Y-yeah, I got it." He pulled an old rusty cylindrical metal scroll case slowly from inside his coat and extended it to Prodea. As she finally smiled to reach the scroll case, Eryk drew it back with his devious smirk, "You do remember our agreement, right? I expect it'll still be on after I give you this?"

"Yes, yes! Don't be such a fool. Do you think of me as a liar and a cheat!?" She grabbed the scroll case angrily and opened it in a hurry. "This'll be the last time you question me again. Next time I hear those disrespectful words coming from your mouth I will rip it apart and incinerate you."

"I'm sorry. One must be careful in dealing with a friend. Friends tend to be the worst enemies - or that's what they usually say."

Prodea wryly smiled looking at him. "So, stop talking unless you want me to be one."

Eryk Caden just walked a few paces away from her while she reads the old parchments inside the metal case. While waiting, he looked everywhere admiring the grandiose display of gold and silver on the edges of the wall as well as on the wall shelves and the edge of the stained-gla.s.s windows. Because of what he's been seeing all around the Palace and at the city residences, the thoughts linking Nagozul to the mythical City of Gold slowly emerged. Realizing this, a new idea came floating inside his scheming mind but was interrupted with Prodea's angry shriek.

"Are you trying to trick me!?"

"Wh-What? Princess, I did not come here just to trick you. This is a serious transaction," he explained with his face lined up with a hint of fret thinking about losing his end of their secret bargain that he so desperately desires.

"These scrolls are missing some pages! Do you know that!?"

Eryk moved closer to examine the scrolls that he gave her. "No, that's all there is. That's all there is at the ruins of Dim'ion's Temple at the north of our Kingdom. That is what you want? Isn't it? That is what you commissioned me to do."

"No! I want the full scrolls of Dim'ion! The last pages are missing!"

"Well, it's not as if I can read that for me to check it? What I give you is what I found in that ruins," he defended almost agitated. "If it's missing that means some must've been destroyed by the years. It's roughly twelve thousand years old after all. It's a miracle that some of it is still intact."

Three knocks on the door interrupted their heated argument. The only thing that she couldn't stand is a mystery, and that fixation doesn't exempt any person standing on the other side of her door. Prodea waited for about five seconds and then another rhythmic knock three-times continued.

"Come in, Zeba!" she hollered giving her permission to enter.

Zeba peeked checking where Prodea is at and then quickly entered almost striding to her.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness but I have very important news to relay."

Zeba looked rather obvious with her eyes widening, s.h.i.+fting to Eryk's, giving her obvious clues as to the nature of her report. Prodea just smiled losing her raging temper to Eryk's incompetence - though the evidence is contrary to Prodea's judgment and that the fault was not his.

"We'll continue our discussion this afternoon," she commanded the Earl while hiding the scrolls on the top shelf of her study. "I will summon Karr to accompany you later."

"And our deal?"

Prodea was halted, annoyed, for a few seconds then she moved closer to him looking him directly with her serious wide eyes. "I dare you to try and repeat that question again, Earl of Farindhal."

Eryk arched his lips upward while stepping back slowly till he walked to the door to exit. His clear insulted face cannot be veiled by his usual charming att.i.tude. Prodea noticed this but decided to let it go for another urgent matter is in front of her.

"So, now that we have our privacy," she commanded her chair to flip around for her to sit awaiting Zeba's news eagerly with amus.e.m.e.nt. "You may now speak your mind. After all, I expect that this report justifies your interruption, yes?"

Zeba was surprised seeing her jump from one frightening demon to a smiling calm angel. Without a doubt, one of Prodea's unpleasant att.i.tudes. You'll never know what she's thinking inside her ma.s.sive brain and that, for Zeba, is most disturbing.

"Oh yes, your highness. I just confirmed the retired Juni Merl as our mystery seer."

Prodea stood up grabbing Zeba's hands tightly being ever so excited.

"Wonderful, wonderful work Zeba. I knew it in my heart that you missing out lunch to obtain this key information will be highly rewarding."

"But Grand Princess," she whispered almost afraid to spoil her great mood, "I think we may have a problem."

Prodea furrowed losing her smile, putting off her warm hold gently, awaiting her explanation.

"No, no, no," she hurried, chuckling nervously, "I mean it's a problem, but it can be taken care of. Nothing to worry about."

"What is it?"

"It's just... it's just that he's not that right in there," she pointed at her head to imply Juni's condition, still smiling trying to purge what she thought to be the growing disappointment of Prodea, "not right in the head, if you know what I'm saying, Your Highness."

"Of course, I know what you're suggesting. Don't be silly! So, he's still at the city?"

"I'm so sorry Your Highness, I know you ordered me to..." Prodea walked away slowly going near the windows in deep thoughts which she finds to be very surprising. She should've been up in her wits screaming at her inactions and wrong decisions, but she isn't doing anything. She's actually ignoring her words and that made her to drop her reasonable explanation and just wonder.

"Zeba," she whispered which snapped her in her wondering, "grab my articles. We'll go there and see for ourselves."

Prodea hurriedly grabbed her long red cloak which she usually wears outside the Palace and wore it while racing to the door with Zeba behind her.

"But Your Highness, Juni is a Fire Master with an essence peeking to critical. He literally tried to burn our Royal Escorts down if not for your Water Caster maidens. It almost drained them out healing them! They were six and he's only on his own!"

Prodea stopped in her strides almost annoyed with her gift of gab but unusually smiling.

"I appreciate your concern, Zeba, but you shouldn't really put any effort on minding my welfare. It is Juni you should be really thinking about."

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"Karus..." whispered a soft voice of a woman echoing all around.

Karus slowly opened his eyes and smiled containing his excitement. He found himself again in the dark embrace of the white glittering crystal wisp slowly emerging on top of him. He's been waiting for this instance for hours and at last the Herald of Bathala went through.

He knelt down, pressing his clenched fists on his chest, bowing to the descending illuminating crystal ball. "Yes, Herald of Bathala," he whispered firmly to the wisp upon leveling to the ground. "What is Bathala's wish?"

"Hark, Son of Light! The White Demon has been spared from the dark clenches of death but he who is chosen need not be too complacent to Bathala's Blessings. He who is chosen, and is destined to be the White Demon, will suffer insurmountable damages to his soul and his physical vessel if he's not to acquire the All Seeing Eye as soon as possible."

"But Great Herald, I do not know such thing? Can Bathala lead me to the location of such artifact?"

"He who has been chosen is always guided. He who has been chosen will never lose way. He who has been chosen is always blessed with..."

The silent rustle of the bushes at his right side snapped him into awakening. He stood up slowly thinking of the crystal's final words while looking cautious on his surroundings. He knows that she's about to say something there. Something that will help him find out what Bathala wants but he was again rudely interrupted by his senses. If only he had the time to ask her on how to contact her again then maybe he could've started on his training and stop meditating, forcing his body, willing it to sleep while struggling to maintain a focused and maintained consciousness.

He heard a shriek of a young woman not far from his position. He immediately grabbed his gear and dashed quickly onwards to the location of the cry of the damsel without thought. His inner prince got the best of him, he thought in the middle of his stride, but he ignored his mind snickering for this impetuous response. He can only a.s.sume that this is brought by his training and his longing to go into action again, saving other people and some other things relatively equal to the idea. He has the knack for having that kind of mindset.

"Ow, ow, ow!" whispered a young girl kneeling on the ground giving intervals of sharp sighs after deep breaths.

Karus walked behind her, concerned in her state. He is certain he remembers her voice and that long bouncy brunette hair but was not sure, so he just gambled.

"Are you all right, Lady Lime?" he asked doubtful if she is who he thinks she is.

Lime jumped in fright running away a few steps from him dragging her long, rusty, and quite heavy claymore. She was quick and agile that Karus was taken to step back a little to give her comfort. Karus was surprised at this reaction from a woman, especially to a princess who he thought to have been living a grand life in their world being so graceful and demure. He just laughed seeing her serious face looking directly in his eyes.

"Dear Lord! Sir Karus! Don't you ever do that to me again!" she shouted angry and then slowly returning to fixing her bruised knee. "It is not proper for a gentleman to creep to a lady unannounced like that."

Karus smiled walking near her. His silent foot was a product of his training so he noted to give himself a reminder that every time he walks near people again, he should reduce his stealthy steps. He grabbed a gla.s.s tube in his pack and knelt in front of her.

"Here," he showed the white silvery liquid asking permission to apply it to her wound which she did accept nodding.

Karus slid a drop of the mystery silver potion and applied it gently to the wound. The wound slowly closed up repairing itself leaving a sliver of white smoke emerging in the process.

"That is a handy thing, that potion. What is it?" she asked reaching for the curious vial to see it closely after Karus pushed the stopper in place. Karus handed it to her still smiling.

"Be careful with that," he reminded, "It's called the White Angel and it is really expensive."

"How can a unique and useful thing exist in this world that we didn't know of?"

"Oh, don't worry princess. You can only see that here in our Holy Lands. In fact, you can only count a handful of people owning a vial or two of that. That's how rare and expensive that is." He stopped for a few seconds figuring why he offered the very pricey potion he has to her. He needed that potion for emergencies and a flesh wound is clearly not categorized as an emergency, especially if it is just a scratch.

Karus opened his palm asking for the vial which Lime surrendered and then he fixed it inside a metal canister and back to his gear.

"What is it made of? I mean, what is it?" she asked with her curious almond eyes still fixed at his gear where he put the potion.

"Even I didn't know what this thing is made off," he explained, "The only thing I know is that the seers are the only ones that are capable of producing such tonics and it takes a long time to process it for safe usage. That's why it's so rare and expensive."

Karus stood up together with Lady Lime, with her giving her curtsy in thanks. Karus noted this by giving a short nod in reply.

"Forgive my intrusion, but what are you doing out here all alone?" Karus continued trying to maintain their conversation.

"Well, if you should know, I actually came in here to train. I used to go to the clearing where you were at earlier, but I saw that you are meditating, and I wouldn't want to disturb you, soI went here instead."

"Well this is no ground for training," Karus smirked kicking the stones on the ground to prove his point. "The floor is uneven and there are a lot of rocks and boulders lying around. How can you..."

"You see my dilemma here?" she grinned picking her rusty claymore on the ground.

"If you want, we can share the clearing. That way you can do your training in peace and I can do mine too. I mean it's big enough for me and..."

"Gladly!" she said excited and curiously smiling running towards the clearing, dragging her rusty claymore. Karus just smiled as he followed her in her pace.

It is a silent stride from the ruins to the training ground. Karus just looked down on the ground until she broke the wall of silence that appears to have robbed them both of words.

"Hey, are you staying near the area?"

"Yes, in fact I am. And you?"

"No sir, I stay at the Palace. I only go here so that I can be alone."

"So, why here? There are a lot of hiding spots to train."

"I think it's seems pretty obvious. It's because of the river east from here and the fruits all around. It's like this field is meant to be a training ground but I don't think no one has ever thought of that, I mean besides you and me. Right? And the map never shows this area, so its secrecy is pretty much inviting."

Karus nodded delighted, surprised with her cartography knowledge. She must've studied a map in the library and surveyed it herself. The area is practically hidden in maps. If you can a.n.a.lyze the flow of the river as well as the mountain range formation you can see a discrepancy from the map. Only a natural cartographer would understand that inconsistency and that made him smile a bit. Finding the hidden locations that Dal'Gur specifically concealed in his maps clearly shows a critical eye. He was most impressed by this feat, particularly on the fact that she did that on her own and without a twin brother, like him, to a.s.sist her.

"So, I just figured I must've interrupted your meditation there for shouting so loud like that. I'm so sorry by the way," she beamed with smiling eyes walking fast. "And thank you," she hurriedly added.

"Oh, that's nothing. I'm always happy to serve. I'm a sword master after all. It's kind of our thing, protecting someone." He immediately noticed her burden that he literally forgot. It's not very prince-like for him not to offer his services to a burdened damsel. He knows that it isn't in his nature to forget something like this; it's in his code and, in spite of it all, he forgot so he immediately offered, "um, Lady Lime, may I impose on carrying your burden?"

"Absolutely not," she smiled which confused Karus. He was going to pursue the topic but she cut-in explaining, "What I meant is that I'm not your typical princess waiting for my knight or Lord. I know I need to improve and in order for me to do that I need to be able to stand on my own. To pick up my own things relying on my own strength, without resorting to the help of any servant, or in this case to a great knight such as yourself. I am born a princess, a woman, but that doesn't mean that I'm ready to place myself among those who they consider as weak and helpless. I want to empower myself and in order for them to understand that and believe it, I need to demonstrate a change. A change that starts with me."

Karus was lightened by what he heard. It's not just because of the fact that she can still deliver her message faster than anyone alive he knew, but because she has created her own principle, her own philosophy. Based on what he's been seeing around, kids at his age doesn't really dwell on the possibility of finding their own unique set of codes to live through with them in their life. You can only witness a few of these enlightened mortals once or twice in your lifetime or none at all. They are a dying breed, free thinkers of the new age, filled with wisdom that was pa.s.sed by their elders and all around. They have the capacity to perceive the knowledge that is scattered everywhere when everybody is measuring reality with trivialities.

"Why are you so silent like that?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows after a moment of silence between them, "Are you not convinced in my convictions?"

"No, no," Karus laughed upon shoving the bushes enough to give her s.p.a.ce to enter the clearing, "it's the contrary."

"Hey... are you making fun of me?" Karus felt chills as her eyes pierced his. "Men are always like that! Smiling at our ideas, thinking how small our views are!"

"No, no! Of course, not!" he immediately explained trying to ease the growing tension that's been filling her. "I will never do that! No. that's not very prin- I mean, Daomagar-like, sizing down people, especially to a young woman of your stature. We treat women here equally."

"Then teach me!"

Silence filled the whole clearing yet again as Karus tried to a.n.a.lyze what just happened for a few seconds. He was not sure he heard right so he asked.

"P-pardon?"

"You are a sword master, right? Teach me the skills of a true warrior!" she demanded crossing her arms after pus.h.i.+ng her claymore to stand on the ground, firmly stating her case convincingly. "If what you say is true and that you don't discriminate, you'll teach me, just like you teach a normal disciple! Just like you teach a man! Or are you one of those men who would rather waste their time than be a.s.sociated with us women in combat training?"

Karus just chuckled. He was bested by a woman, a foreign woman at that. She must've realized how he was so polite towards her. She must've used this to her advantage to try and lure him in. It's a trap! He was lured in and trapped! He was right in his a.s.sessment about her intellectual superiority, but he didn't account for the guile and capriciousness of women. Truly a skill no man can simulate. He is determined to teach her because he detected a slight similarity with her att.i.tude and determination. To think something like that impromptu in the middle of their walk really impressed him - plus the idea of having a spy inside the Palace is practically enticing. It's a win-win situation. He'll just need to convince Kayzar but that, he thought, is going to be easy.

Lime's lips arched upwards as she dropped her gear at the ground.

"So, Master! What shall we learn today?!"

"Alright, alright. But know this. By wanting to be my student you will abide to my every whim, understood?"

"Yes Master!" she hurriedly answered in excitement.

"That means whatever I order you to finish, you finish without stopping, without resting, until you accomplish."

"Yes, Master."

"And you will comply with my rules and regulations without complaints."

"Yes, Master! I will do everything you order!"

He was surprised with her determination being both excited and concentrated at that time that he remembered what happened the first time he trained with his Grandfather Narra. He used the same words his Gramps said in his introductions only he asked him a lot of questions that it took them an hour to start. He was surprised at her reaction that he got to ask. "Wow, you're really up for it?"

"Yeah? I mean, I told you what I want right?"

"That will mean that you'll be my first disciple."

"Then I'm honored, Sir Karus."

"Hey! In this field you are to call me Master at all times."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Master."

"And if you are to train under me, expect to be pushed to the limits. I do not train weak warriors who cry and moan and complain. I will treat you as a first cla.s.s Daomagar, so I expect you to discipline yourself."

"Yes, master!"

"Let's start with the basics. You should really lose the fancy dress and wear something comfortable like a pair of silk pants and some loose tunics."

"Why, what's wrong Master? This is my most comfortable dress."

"Yes, as much as you like that, you won't have the freedom of movement I need for you to accomplish your task. And stop asking questions, just comply."

"Yes Master!"

"And of course, you should really tie or braid your hair if you want to keep me from cutting it short."

Lime began to hold her brunette treasure while softly combing it gently with her fingers. You can sense the fear in her after hearing the threat to her precious hair. Karus saw that she wanted to ask questions but was impeded by his command. Karus felt somewhat guilty about giving that commandments but he needed order, and for him to achieve that, he needed complete obedience. Now he knows how his Gramps feel when giving an order.

"And stop using your corset; Mobility and maneuverability are the key in battle! Instead, use a long silk to tie around as your upper undergarment. It gives a full support to your b.r.e.a.s.t.s. You have a rather large pair of..."

Lime turned red after Karus's words. She finds it hard to contain herself and slapped him to stop continuing.

"That is not how a gentleman speaks to a woman! You don't get to talk about our lady parts!"

"Wh-wh..." Karus stuttered shocked feeling his left cheek which she attacked so ferociously. He was about to utter into clarifying his statements, but he noticed her angry squinting eyes, sohe just continued. "Okay, I'm sorry... J-just run fifty laps in this edge of the clearing. I think you can handle that, right?"

"What!? Are you insane? It's mid-afternoon and you want me to run fifty times in this huge expense of land?" she went closer squinting her eyes even further, "Are you just getting back at me from that slap?"

"Wh- No, no. My master and my master's master did the same thing to his disciples. You are really lucky I made it fifty. I used to run a hundred and fifty laps to an area thrice as big as this. And don't you lose those magic words again if you don't want me to punish you, alright?"

"Okay Master," she said still with squinting eyes taking away the ribbons attached to her dress, "I told you not to go easy on me. If you took a hundred and fifty, I'm going to take three hundred."

Karus was alarmed with her determination. He knows she doesn't really have the vitality to do that. He was about to interrupt her and stop her, but she dashed on leaving him standing in thoughts. He finally decided to just sit and hope she reach to about forty. By then, he antic.i.p.ated, she will lose will and drop on the ground all tired and unconscious. It's a big troublesome problem, but at least she is sticking to her words and that is most commendable, especially to a girl of her stature who is somewhat unpredictable.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

"Juni Merl, Retired Grand Seer of the Holy Nagozulian Kingdom, we urge you to keep your calm and come out of your residence peacefully. We mean you no harm!"

"What's the meaning of this commander!?" shouted Prodea as she strode angrily with haste to her envoys cowering in the barrels that are at the sides of the house of the Grand Seer.

"I'm sorry, your highness, he's still unresponsive to us. Maybe if we give him enough time, he'll..."

"Nonsense, you incompetent tool! It's been hours since you've been here! You should've contained the situation by now!"

Prodea removed her cowl, threw it to Zeba and strode to the middle of the street. Zeba was surprised so she followed das.h.i.+ng on hurriedly pulling her arms respectfully to turn back.

"Your highness, no!" she whispered somewhat afraid, "He'll attack you!"

"What do you think will happen? He'll invite me in!? What's the matter with you Zeba?"

"But he'll be executed if he lays a single attack on you!?"

"Precisely. That or I kill him in the process, so move your stubby fingers away from my arms and watch while I finish what you failed to do."

Zeba's face began to turn purple slowly releasing Prodea's arm. She's not the Prodea she knew years before. She's quickly turning evil. She has half the mind to take it all back, all the things she did for her and report all her plans directly to the Queen. If only not for her desire to be the new Queen; if only not for her desire for her son, Gantee, to be next in line instead of the Sons of Anagea, whom she despises more than anything. 'If onlys' became her mantra for blocking her now shattering conscience. These are the only things that give her the energy to face those horrible nightmares that haunts her dreams ever since the incident at the North Western Cotton Village. The 'if onlys' that she hopes would give her peace and happiness in the future.

"Juni!" Prodea shouted creating a ma.s.sive ball of fire as tall as her on her sides. "By order of the Queen, come out of your residence or else I will be forced to release this fire ball into your home in retaliation to your contemptuous attacks against the Royal Sentry!"

Juni slightly opened a window and shouted in reply, "I did not attack any of your vermins! They are the ones who pursued to push my door knowing fully that my defensive charms are in place! I cannot be held liable for their incompetence!"

"Even so, as Chief Magistrate of the Kingdom of Nagozul, I order you to come out of your residence and face a tribunal for your malicious actions against my envoy or else I will be forced to burn your house down in order to extract you!"

"Don't make me laugh, Prodea! Even the Queen would never agree on your incomprehensible logic, more so a tribunal of my peers! I invoke my right for a lawful summon by the Queen. By orders of the Late King Liwanag on equality in defense of the household, I am ent.i.tled to defend my territory if an unlawful summon has been given, even if it is you!!!"

Prodea smirked, insulted with what he said, "Well, suit yourself."

She directed the ball in front of her with her palms opened and released it to the house. The ball of fire rolled quickly burning the ground on its path and exploded with a tremendous deafening bang that echoed all around.

Juni's house can be seen unscathed as soon as the smoke cleared but the houses of Juni's neighbors caught on fire almost immediately raising an alarming scream within the area of people running to get away from the growing tension between the two.

"Impressive Old Man!" Prodea shouted, summoning hundreds of small fist-sized fire b.a.l.l.s around her, "You still got some juice in you even in your old age!"

Juni suddenly appeared slouching on top of his house with both palms on the sides open after the black smokescreen has subsided. Prodea saw a different kind of man: A man that is in total control of his elemental essence. And that doesn't coincide with Zeba's reports of being an old incoherent senile geezer. He jumped and floated for a few seconds in the air and closed both his hands putting off all the fire all around the area, even Prodea's fire b.a.l.l.s.

Prodea was shocked and disturbed by this feat as she created a summoning circle around her straight away to defend her from any elemental attacks.

"You are the Fire Sentinel!!!" she shouted surprised with his incredible skill to extinguish fire all around.

The Fire Sentinel is a t.i.tle given to the strongest fire elemental in a generation. Every Element has a sentinel and only the Fire Sentinel's ident.i.ty is a secret. The Earth, Water, and Wind Sentinels are currently the Grand Seers in the palace so Prodea naturally a.s.sumed that the Fire Sentinel has long perished and the position is now available for any candidates thinking that there is no mention of the person in the records.

Juni returned slouching on top of the roof top smiling with his annoying dental clicks. "I'm surprised you're still stupid Prodea! You're still fifty steps behind your brother! I thought you very well know who you're up against and have prepared just a little! Do not mock me with your low-level skills, turn back now and I'll be kind enough not to tell this to your brother."

"Prodea!" shouted Zeba, "Let's turn back! If he's the Fire Sentinel, then you'll never be able to use your fire skill around him!"

"Yes, I know that, you meddling fool!" she shouted back angrily, "Stop interfering or I'll include you too in my wrath!"

"Ohoho, listen to your vermins! They're much smarter than you!"

Prodea smiled and etched circular runes around the air. Juni noticed this and tensely shouted, "NO! Prodea! That's..."

"What!" she interrupted, "Are you ready to surrender yet?"

Juni released a gus.h.i.+ng fire tornado to Prodea but the circular runes surrounding her just absorbed the blast leaving her without a scratch chuckling in delight to his futile attempt to disrupt her.

"You've gone rotten Prodea!" he furiously shouted on top of his lungs. "Messing with Dim'ion's Magicks is not funny!"

"TO YOU IT'S NOT!" she shouted as she finished her summoning circle in the air.

"RUN! ALL OF YOU! RUN AWAY!!!" shouted Juni as he created a force blast throwing all the people away from Prodea, even her envoys and Zeba.

A fiery dark smoking serpentine monster appeared sneaking out of the summoning circle. It extended ten feet long, two feet wide. Its vile features include a long sharp pair of fangs that drops a black putrid liquid that hisses on contact with the ground, burning half a foot of area in the process.

"Try extinguis.h.i.+ng black fire now! You are the famous Fire Sentinel after all!? And you are famous on these kinds of things..."

"HOW DARE YOU SUMMON A BLACK DEATH HERE IN NAGOZUL!"

"Me!?" she laughed hard mocking him, "I didn't summon this!? You did! Or at least that's what I'm going to report to the Queen. I can already see the headlines. Grand Seer Juni found to have been using dark arts and have accidentally summoned a Black Death. It has a great tune in it, right?"

"YOU HAVE NO SOUL YOU IMPUDENT DEMON! IT WILL KILL EVERYONE IT SEES AND BURN THE CITY TO ASHES! HAVE YOU NO CONSCIENCE!"

"Correction. Everyone, except me. It's your problem now." She moved her hands to her sides commanding the Black Death to slither away to escape like a quick slug leaving a sludge of black acid eating away the life of the earth, burning it to charcoal black.

Juni saw that it is running towards the road leading to the market where many people can fall victim to its malicious nature, so he immediately jumped to the streets. He raced in front of the slithering monster giving away himself as the first victim to the monster's eye to stop the moving fiend. His mind at the time is as clear as day, focusing all his energies to his amplifiers which suddenly appeared at his back floating.

Prodea was again surprised as she saw those three Amplifyers floating around him. Three red rubies are burning bright almost white circling him. That should not be possible, that many amplifiers would've sucked the soul out of him and kill him on activation. His essence is not bordering critical as Zeba previously reported, his essence is beyond that - even beyond her with her estimate. That only proved one point, that he is indeed the only person without royal blood to have ever summoned the mythical white fire and has enough sanity to live and tell about it. His elemental essence is so high he can hold up to three Amplifyers, and that made her devious arching lips to giggle in delight and excitement.

He moved his hands in front antic.i.p.ating the cruel beast's actions. "You will never see another soul here! Not while I'm around!"

He clenched his fists as his eyes turned an illuminating intense red glow bordering to white. The Black Death shrieked in pain as the smoke coming out of his corrupted body slowly grew thin as if it's being suffocated revealing its original disturbing bony skeleton figure masked by the black fire that surrounds it.

"The All Seeing Eye?" shouted Prodea being distressed in his situation. "You know how to use the All Seeing Eye!? Stop! You're killing it!"

Juni just snickered at Prodea's cry. "Thought I can't do it, huh? That I'm too old for this?"

"Yes! So back off!" she replied creating small circular runes in mid-air that created four black pockets of void on top of her that heavily gushed a jet of water, much like what Bakunawa did to her but slightly weaker.

This snapped Juni's meditation releasing the Black Death in its suffocating bondage in order for him to defend himself to the four sword-like torrents that's in front of him. He knelt down fast grabbing the ground with his palms and created a scorching fire wall six feet wide. The gus.h.i.+ng water was halted and evaporated on contact with the defensive wall but, due to the fact that the fire element's weakness is water, one jet made through and lacerated his right shoulder. Good thing he managed to jump a few paces back after he summoned the wall for after just two seconds, the other three jets came rus.h.i.+ng by piercing the earth he stood earlier, creating a miniscule explosion on contact, digging the ground twenty feet deep with its power.

As soon as the wall disappeared, the Black Death came charging with its huge mouth opening for a kill. Juni managed to blast him away with a fire explosion but it squirted his vile rancid poison that reached the palm of his left arm. He immediately enchanted his right arm with fire and without hesitation cut his left hand.

"Prodea," he angrily whispered with his annoyed dental clicks and angry sighs of pain, "I don't care who you are, you are going to die today for this!"

Prodea saw Juni glow white with another Amplifyer activating on his abdomen. He embedded himself with a five-inch Amplifyer! An act that that is most forbidden to commoners. An act that only people born in Royalty can do. She can see his body being enveloped with the mythical white fire, burning an intense glow, scorching everything ten feet around him. Enchanting an item is easy, Prodea thought, enchanting a part of your body can be somewhat hard but enchanting your whole body is something bordering to impossible, much so with white fire. What she's seeing is clearly beyond her comprehension.

An enchantment of white fire to the whole body can only be done by one person: The Immortal Nagozul, Prince Karus, Son of Nagozul, also known as the Legendary White Demon, the one who has been killed in the Elven Rebellion. Other than that, n.o.body, not even her with her intense essence, can conjure up that kind of power to create an ultimate offensive and defensive enchantment. With a single touch, he can destroy, incinerating to ashes, anything while defending himself to almost all things physical and elemental. It's the ultimate power of the Immortal Nagozul and only he knows how to acquire it.

The Black Death cowered slowly backwards almost crying in fear losing its smoky façade.

"Oh, you're going to pay for my arm now!" he shouted as he ran towards the fiend grabbing his now cowardly tail from slithering away. At one touch he extinguished the black flame on his tail and crushed its bony figure. The malicious beast screamed its pitiful shrieks and spat him liters of his foul poisons but that didn't do him any good. Juni was completely covered with the marvelous white fire.

Prodea can't almost see his face being so brightly lit. She can only see a flowing figure of a brightly burning man brutally squas.h.i.+ng her Black Death till it's extinguished of its depravity and is completely in ashes.

"I know I should've killed that fiend twenty years ago!" he shouted after heaving much, slowly standing to face her, growing angrier as he walks towards her. "I never would've guessed someone would've found my book and dare use it against me when I explicitly entered in the heading that it is much vile and dangerous! It took us years to contain that beast and you just let it out in the open like that!"

Juni flicked a flint of fireball to Prodea's right side and it exploded causing her to be thrown away to the wall on her left.

"Oh, please!" he shouted annoyed, "Do not use your phantom hands at me! You know I'm using the All Seeing Eye. I can see everything! Every summoning ritual you're hiding, every weakness in your body, every hole in your defensive barrier - even your s.h.i.+vering frightened eyes. You look pathetic as it is! Don't aggravate your situation!"

"So, you're going to kill me, is that it?" she asked smiling though she's on the verge of breaking her impenetrable persona with fear lurching every single drop of sweat in her body.

"For you, Your Highness," he mocked laughing, "I will end your pitiful demented existence quickly without giving you much pain. But first, I need to know. Who else knew about my books!?"

"You're going to die and you're still thinking of your worthless articles?"

"How great of you to still think you have the advantage in the situation you brat! Of course, I will answer for my actions, but you'll be disposed long before that."

Prodea stood up smiling now confident, "Are you sure?"

Juni backed away frightened. He was losing the enchantment. He can see his body slowly returning to normal, losing his defensive white fire.

"No," he murmured. "I counted. I have another ten minutes more... this is impossible!"

"You see, I also like to count too," Prodea replied deviously smiling glad, "If you have just gone out and killed me already, none of this would've happened - I mean that's what I would've done. Just kill the target and everyone she knows, just to filter out some lose ends instead of asking the target silly questions."

Juni created a fire ball and hurled it to Prodea which she just shoved away easily to Juni's house. It exploded blasting half his front wall leaving the dancing flames to eat away the remaining structure.

"I didn't expect you'd know the All Seeing Eye, an unknown secret of the Yagisivians. Just so you know, the All Seeing Eye is always used in the beginning of every battle. But alas, you didn't know that. If you have used it when you appeared on your silly rooftop you would've seen my hidden runes while I was summoning my precious Black Death!"

"You put a Draining Hex on me!?"

"Wow, bravo! Glad you're still thinking straight after that."

Juni's Amplifyer floating on his left side exploded. He dropped down convulsing in pain, screaming.

"and even after that..." his other floating Amplifyer exploded almost crushed to pieces.

"No!" He pleaded crying in pain as his extremities shake and twitch leaving him paralyzed on the ground, "Please kill me now. Please don't do this."

"Why would I kill you, I wanted to know more about you. I mean I can't just kill someone who killed my precious Black Death, where's the fun in that!?"

And as the last floating Amplifyer exploded, all he can blurry see was her silent giggle slowly fading and then all turned to black.