Treasures of Andalia Chronicles: Ring of Flames

Chapter Twenty Five: A Fight to the Death with the Soldier of Seth

AMARIS

I slept by the fire when Val shook me gently, waking me up. They were all awake. Rihaan grilled some skewered mushrooms by the fire while Trisna fed the horses. I rubbed my eyes as I stretched my body. Rihaan then handed me a water bag. I poured some of it on my palm, rinsing my face, then drank the rest of it from the pouch.

We ate the grilled mushrooms, and honestly, it didn't taste good. All I could taste were burnt crisps of charred mushroom. Clearly, Rihaan wasn't cut out to be a cook. I'd rather have him ride dragons than make me breakfast every day.

Trisna walked quietly towards me while the men discussed among themselves and said, "aren't you going to tell them about Cairis?"

I peered at them. Their discussion has now turned into a heated argument. Sighing, I shook my head in disbelief.

"Not now."

"But if Prince Rihaan asked me, I have no choice but to tell him. I cannot disobey my master any longer," Trisna said.

I bit my lip in frustration. She was right. Sooner or later, I had to tell them the truth. Not only the thing regarding Cairis, but also my true identity.

"All right," I gave up. "I'll tell them today, but right now; I need to stop them, or they might start killing each other."

I bolted towards the two men who were already at each other's throat. Val pulled Rihaan's collar, which was surprising because he was usually more collected. Rihaan, on the other hand raised his arms in the air tauntingly. His right hand held the map.

"What's going on?" I asked, breaking them apart.

"Nothing's wrong," Rihaan smiled. A fake one.

"We are lost," Val snapped. "Prince Rihaan here doesn't know how to get to Levos."

"No, we're not lost. We just need a guide," Rihaan argued.

I glared at him. "Isn't that the same thing?"

He opened his mouth but I glared at him harder so he gave up, sighing in defeat. "All right, we are a little lost. Luxys was supposed to arrive here to bring us to Levos."

"But he isn't," I stated.

"He isn't," Rihaan mumbled, repeating what I said.

Then, all of a sudden. A person jumped out from a tree.

Trisna and Val immediately unsheathed their blades. I took a few steps back while Rihaan glared down at the intruder. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, just below his torso. The assailant raised her head. Cracking her fingers one by one as she stretched her neck. Groaning, enjoying the pain she inflicted on herself.

"So, tell me, which part of your body should I break first?" She chuckled. Her voice was sinister enough to inculcate fear among us.

A black mask covered her mouth but I could see her eyes. Such beautiful gray eyes, yet the stare she gave was deadly. She purposely made her eyes visible to instill terror. Then, she sniggered.

Once she got to the little finger, she stopped, and then broke out of laughter, holding her stomach. Her cackle was like thunder in the middle of a storm. A creaking sound you hear whenever you open a wooden door in the middle of the night. It sent shivers down my spine. Then, my nostrils flared as I smelled something familiar. The smell of citrus fruit. The smell of aurentius.

I gasped. "It's Cairis."

The sinister laugh she made disappeared. "Oh, you know about me," she sounded surprised but her tone was cold. "But I prefer to be called 'The Reaper.' I'm quite attached to that name, you know."