Chapter 5 The sixth day

The warlord smiled. "I'm already

blessed, Gabin."

Gabin smiled because he knew the

warlord was speaking facts.

"WHERE ARE we?" Sollel asked for

the third time after sensing that they

were lost. Sollel was just following Cira

because she said she'll be her guide,

but Sollel immediately regretted her decision after walking on plains for

three days and sleeping on the ground

for two nights. And now they've

entered a forest and they're definitely

missing.

Cira turned to face Sollel but couldn't

look at Sollel's eyes. "This is the

shortcut to the Kingdom of Treterra.

I'm sure of it, really!"

Sollel just nodded at Cira and urged

her to move forward. And as Sollel followed Cira deep into the forest, she

left traces of burnt leaves along the

way. just to make sure that they were

not going in circles. Hours later, Sollel

saw the same leaves she burnt.

Sollel looked around. All she could see

were trees and grasses. There's Inot

even a single path that she could see.

"We're lost, aren't we?"

Cira looked away and pretended to

look for a path that could lead them out

of the forest.

Sollel sighed. "What happened to 'I

know everything there is to know

about Azitera"?"

Cira looked at Sollel and bit her lower

lip. "Azitera...changed while I was in

Beastrela?"

Sollel stared blankly at Cira and was about to scold her for hiding the fact

that they were lost when she heard a

rustling sound. Seeing that Cira was

about to speak, Sollel signaled her not

to say a word. Cira immediately held

her tongue and readied her bow and

arrow.

Sollel felt hopeless while the rustling

Sound got nearer and nearer. She

didn't have any weapon, and even if

she could find a sword, it would melt

in an instant after using her blood of

flame. Basically, all she could rely for

Now was her ball of flame.

As the rustling sound got nearer, Sollel

summoned a ball of flame in her hand

while carefully backing away, not

making a sound. And from the thick

trees, Sollel and Cira finally saw where the rustling sound was coming from.

A huge black wolf with red eyes baring

its fangs at them entered their line of

sight, saliva dripping from its mouth.

Sollel wanted to stay low, not wanting

to make a sound, when she saw how

The black wolf was looking at them. It

looked hungry, ready to devour its prey

-and they were his prey.

Before the black wolf could attack,

Soilel threw the ball of flame in her

hand to the black wolf, and then she

started running. "Cira! Run!"

Sollel's worry of Cira's well-being was

unfounded when she saw Cira running

and sliding on the tree branches,

expertly jumping from tree to tree like

an elven warrior who were experts in

forest battles. Seeing Cira safe, Sollel

kept conjuring ball of flames one after another, throwing it to the black wolf

while running. But her flames couldn't

penetrate the black wolf's thick fur.

I need a bigger ball of flame, Sollel

thought frustratedly. Back in the day,

it would only take one ball of flame to

destroy this beast, but now with her

current strength, she was no match for

it. All she could do was run and hope

that her ball of flames could somehow

distract the beast.

And as Sollel kept throwing her ball of

flames to the black wolf, Cira, who was

running and sliding on tree branches,

shot her arrows at the black wolf. Cira's

aim was precise that even Sollel was

impressed with the elf's agility and

aim.

"Head north, Your Highness!" Cira

shouted while shooting the black wolf

with her arroWs. "I Can see an exit!"

Listening to Cira, Sollel faced the black

wolf and gathered the biggest ball of

flame she could conjure in her hand.

When the black wolf was only a meter

away, Sollel released her ball of flame,

blasting the black wolf into the air, a

a few meters away.

Then Sollel started running north again, relieved to see that Cira was indeed right there's an exit. She could already see the trees thinning as she got nearer and nearer to the exit.

Cira jumped down from the tree and

landed beside Sollel. The two ran as

fast as they could to the exit of the

forest, while the black wolf-now with

an injured eye-chased them furiously.

It was angry because of the damage

that Solel's flame had done to its left

eye.

Hearing the black wolf's angry roar

behind them, Cira and Sollel ran

faster than the wind. They both had a

triumphant smile when they reached

ihe end of (he forest, Without stopping,

the two continued running until here

Was a safe distance between them

and the forest Their smile widened

wien they saw that the black wolf

had stopped at the edge of the farest,

glaring at them.

Cira giggled and danced to ROck the

black wolf, and together with Sollel, the

two turned around at the same time to

continued their journey. But their smiles

instantly disappeared when they saw

what was in front of them.

There was a wide grayish rocky plain,

so wide that they couldn't see the end

Of it. Two active volcanoes were on

each side, both spewing sulfur gasses

aAnd ash. And in the middle of the two

enormous active volcanoes was a wide

path made of flat ash rock; there were

also rock formations out of ashes.

Something clicked in Sollel's mind

upon seeing it,"The ash terrain?"

Cira's eyes widened when she heard

what Queen Sollel said. The ash terrain

Was harmful to any creature in Azitera.

No wonder the black didn't

continue chasing them: it was afraid

for its life.

The ash terrain looked calm, and the

falling ashes from the volcanoes could

be mistaken as a pretty snow, but it was all a lie.

The air in the ash terrain was toxic and harmful to the body, not to mention the heat that would consume them as they go deeper into the ash terrain. If humans tried to cross the ash terrain, they'd die in half a day, halflings would probably die within

two days, while other races could

probably survive up to four days.

Unfortunately, to cross the ash terrain,

seven days were needed.

Sollel and Cira both came from a

long-lived race. Sollel could definitely

make it out alive because of her

indomitable body, but for Cira, it would

be a challenge.

"Let's go back to the forest and kill that black wolf," said Sollel. She'd rather

risk her life fighting the wolf than to

cross the ash terrain.

Maybe if her strength was like before, she could even walk slowly and enjoy the heat,

but with her strength and body, not to

mention the toxic air in the ash terrain,

it would drain her.

"Ahm.." Cira immediately turned

around, eager to go back to the forest,

but she didn't dare take a step when

she saw a pack of black wolves at the

edge of the forest, looking at them

hungrily. "I don't think that's an option

anymore, Your Highness."

Sollel turned around and gritted her

teeth when she saw a pack of black

wolves glaring at them, baring their

fangs, as if they were challenging them

to go back so they could rip them apart.

Sollel sighed and looked at the ash

terrain in front of them. What choice

Do we have? Be eaten or cross the ash

terrain while praying to the deities for

their safety?

"How long would it take to cross the

ash terrain?" Sollel asked Cira.

"Seven days," Cira answered. She felt

guilty for not informing the queen

earlier that they were lost. Maybe if

she said anything, they would not be in

their situation now.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should've told you earlier that we were lost. I really thought we were going the right way. I just want us to reach Treterra fast."

"No use blaming yourself," Sollel

answered while observing the ash

terrain. "Let's just cross this hellish

terrain."

Cira nodded firmly before she took out two leaves from her satchel. "Here,

Your Highness. Eat this. This are areca

leaves. It can protect our body from

toxins for a few days.

Though you can only consume one leaf every week, or it'll turn to poison if you take two leaves within the same week."

Sollel did not want to take it since her

blood could combat and purify any

toxins that entered her body, but she

realized how the plant could help her

conserve her strength. If her blood

continued combating and purifying the

toxins that would enter her for seven

days, it would have a negative impact

on her body, weakening her, for sure.

I can't have that, she thought.

"I will save the areca leaf when we

arrive at the center of ash terrain,"

Sollel advised Cira. "But you should

consume it now. You may be long-lived,

but you can still die."

Cira shuddered at that and hurriedly

consumed one areca leaf. "I'm ready,

Queen Sollel."

Sollel nodded and took a deep breath

before she bravely took a step forward

while Cira was behind her, following

her lead.

Sollel led the first day of their journey

to cross the ash terrain. They didn't

stop to rest or sleep. On the second

day, still far from the center of the ash

terrain, Sollel started to feel the heat,

while Cira already felt the burning

sensation of the two active volcanoes

sandwiching them in between.

On their third day, Cira's body was

begging for rest, and the effect of

the areca leaves was fading, but she terrain, Sollel started to feel the heat,

while Cira already felt the burning

sensation of the two active volcanoes

sandwiching them in between.

On their third day, Cira's body was

begging for rest, and the effect of

the areca leaves was fading, but she

kept going. Cira couldn't voice out her

complain, seeing how the queen caught

her breath from time to time, tired just

like she was.

On their third night, Sollel finally

wanted to rest for a bit, but the

problem was...where? Everywhere

they turned, all they could see was a

mountain of ash rock, and if someone

touched it, they would burn.

The two enormous volcanoes were

hundreds of kilometers apart, but the

heat on the center between them still

felt as if the craters were nearby. It was

blistering hot. Well, for Cira it was, but

for Sollel, she could only feel a little.

Sollel took the areca leaves she was

hiding and ate it, and then she turned

to Cira. "Are the areca leaves still in

effect?" The toxic in the air was getting

thicker.

Cira shook her head while trying to dry

her sweat. "Don't worry. I'll try to use

the essence in my body to heal myself,

but it'll slow me down."

"Do it," Sollel ordered Cira. "Dragging

your dead body will be more arduous

then slowing down."

Cira looked at Sollel flatly and spoke

with sarcasm. "Thank you for your

worry, Your Highness."

Sollel nodded. "You're welcome."

Cira just sighed at how earnest Sollel

sounded.

Stopping for a few minutes, the two

realized that they wouldn't be able to

rest even if they wanted to, so they

continued walking until they reached

the ash rock mountain the center of

the ash terrain.

Sweating, dehydrated, and exhausted,

Sollel and Cira started climbing the

ash rock mountain. The climb took

a whole day and half a night. When

they reached the top, Sollel and Cira

expected a hellish temperature, but to

their surprise, the heat was not as high

as they assumed and anticipated. Still,

they didn't stick around and continued

climbing down after they ate Cira's

dried meat provision and drank a little

water from Cira's water canteen.

Cira was full of blisters and burns;

if not for Sollel's fire essence being

Wrapped around her, she would've

died-but Cira didn't know that. She

had no idea that Sollel was spreading

her fire essence to protect her from the

blistering heat of the ash terrain.

On their fifth day, Sollel and Cira were

already at the foot of the mountain.

Their hike continued. On their sixth

day, the two finally started seeing

vegetation.

And when Cira saw a tree,

the elf climbed it and slept on one of

the tree branches without a care in

the world. The temperature already

dropped down, and they could finally

rest.