Destinies: The Origin

Chapter 19: Hell's Paradise

Adzima POV

As we returned to the mansion, I asked Falco about something that had been on my mind for a while. 
Adzima:"So, my Prince, what impressed you so much when Rima managed to injure your arm?" 
He didn’t answer immediately but instead looked at Ryan. 
Falco:"Ryan, can you morph your hand into a sword?" 
Ryan nodded and focused, forming a sword from iron in his palm. Falco then instructed him to strike his uninjured arm. 
Falco:"Hit me" 
Everyone:"What???" 
Falco:"Trust me, hit me with all your strength" 
Ryan hesitated at first, but then struck Falco's arm with all his might. 

We all winced watching it, but were surprised to see that Falco’s arm was fine while Ryan’s sword broke instead. 
Ryan:"How is that possible?" 
Falco:"My clothes are made from a unique material that can protect my body from various dangers, that’s why I was impressed when Rima managed to break through it and wound me" 
Ryan:"That is indeed very impressive" 
As we were chatting, Rima finally woke up and looked at us with a guilty expression. 
Adzima:"Rima, how do you feel?" 
Rima:"I’m fine now, and I’m sorry, everyone" 

Rima:"Even though I was brainwashed, that’s no excuse to attack and hurt you" 
We girls hugged Rima to comfort her as she started crying. 
Elsa:"It’s okay, Rima. We don’t blame you" 
Rima:"Thank you, everyone" 
Rima then turned to Falco to apologize. 
Rima:"I’m also sorry for your arm" 
Falco:"Don’t worry, 'tis but a scratch" 
The Troublemakers and the men suddenly chuckled hearing Falco's response. 
Rima:"Thank you, Prince, isnt it?" 
Their chuckled turned into heartfelt laughter, and this time, everyone except Falco and me was laughing, while I blushed. 

Falco:"No, my name is Falco" 
Rima:"What? But Adzima calls you Prince" 
Qori:"Adzima is the only one who calls him that" 
My face turned even redder, and I turned away. 
Fian:"And also, the Captain always calls Adzima Princess" 
Rima:"Aww, that’s so sweet" 
Adzima:'Wait, I know this pattern, and the next thing will be...' 
I tried to stop Rima before she could ask, but I was too late. 
Rima:"So, are you two dating?" 
Adzima:"Noo...."
I quickly covered my face, which was getting redder. 

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This time, we were all walking under the scorching sun of the the Sahara Desert. Everyone was complaining about how hot it was, and honestly, I felt it too. However, Falco was still wearing his thick, layered clothes. Strangely, he seemed unaffected by the heat at all, even though I was practically sweating just by looking at him. 
Fian:"Captain, why are we walking here again? Why not use your truck or jet?" 
Falco:"We can't, Fian, because the location we are heading to can't be seen from the air, and the sand around here is too soft for large vehicles like trucks or cars" 

Aditya:"I call bullshit on that! You must have something that could make crossing this place easier, right?" 
Riski:"Also, how can you still wear that in this blistering heat without sweating?" 
Riski:"Are you even human, Captain?" 
The Troublemakers kept complaining, which only made our frustration grow. Galuh, clearly fed up with their whining, used her magic to silence them right away. I gave her a thumbs up in appreciation. 
Adzima:"Good job, Galuh" 

Galuh:"Thanks, but Adzima, Elsa, can’t you make us some ice blocks or something?" 
Elsa:"Sorry, but my ice would melt right away in this heat" 
Adzima:"Mine too" 
We all sighed and continued walking. However, in the middle of our journey, a swarm of giant scorpions suddenly appeared and surrounded us. 
Elsa:"That’s fire scorpions. Be careful not to get stung, everyone—their venom is very dangerous" 
We quickly prepared to fight the fire scorpions, following Elsa's warning. Galuh also used her magic to arm The Troublemakers, ready to fight as well. 

Fighting the fire scorpions that surrounded us wasn’t hard, but there were so many of them. The scorching desert sun put us in a very disadvantageous position. People started getting exhausted, nearly passing out from the heat. Just when we were struggling to fight the fire scorpions, a group of sand golems appeared and surrounded us. At first, we felt more hopeless, but to our surprise, the golems began helping us fight the fire scorpions. 
Fian:"What? Where did these golems come from?" 
Elsa:"Fian, focus!" 
Fian:"Yeah, yeah, sorry" 

Then we heard a familiar voice calling us to come closer. 
Voice:"Come here, everyone" 
We exchanged glances, then looked at Falco. He nodded, and we all ran toward the source of the voice. As we got closer, a sand dome rose from the ground, and a woman waved at us as the dome opened slightly. 
Voice:"Come on, over here" 
We quickened our pace toward the sand dome, but suddenly, a fire scorpion appeared near the dome and lunged at me. 

Once again, Falco quickly saved me by letting himself get stung by the scorpion. He immediately cut off the scorpion's stinger, and we ran into the dome. As we entered, the dome closed behind us, keeping the fire scorpions outside. At first, it was dark, but soon the plants inside the dome started glowing, revealing the view. It turned out to be an oasis with glowing plants I had never seen before. The large lake in the middle of the oasis reflected the light from the surrounding plants, making the scene inside the dome even more spectacular. 

I then realized who the woman was that had called us earlier, and it turned out to be Triya. I smiled at her at first but then became worried about Falco. 
Adzima:"My Prince, are you alright?" 
Adzima:"I am grateful that you always protect me, but please don’t sacrifice yourself like that" 
Falco:"Princess, I..." 
Falco tried to respond, but I was too panicked, and I accidentally interrupted him. I turned to Elsa and Fian anxiously. 
Adzima:"Fian, Elsa, do you have an antidote for the scorpion poison?" 

They both sadly shook their heads. I then saw Triya run off to get something. 
Fian:"No, sorry" 
Falco tried to speak again, but we ignored him once more because we were too busy panicking. Triya returned shortly after, holding a syringe. She then gave the syringe to Falco. 
Triya:"Here, luckily I have a little of it with me" 
We all felt relieved at first, but then we looked at Falco, who still seemed like he wanted to say something. However, he sighed, rolled up his sleeve, and injected the antidote into his arm. But after injecting the antidote, Falco suddenly passed out and fell toward me.