Honey : The Empire's Treasure

Under Yumsa guidance, Mika went back to the cavern to check on the tree.

"It"s still good..." Yumsa marveled at the stable tree before.

"En." Mikaela was busy taking samples of the honey, tree bark, and water to admire her work.

"Will you continue to check on it to make sure it stays healthy?" Yumsa didn"t want to see this tree revert to its toxic state.

"No. I"ll be going back to the capital city soon. There"ll be no chance for me to take care of this tree from now on." Finished collecting samples, Mika placed them in her pocket for now.

"...but..."

"Yumsa, you will need to take care of this tree in my place." Mika had come to this decision last night after talking with Drako.

"Me? How can I-" Yumsa immediately started to panic from the task giving to her.

"I thought this was originally the spirits" job to take care of the trees? With your father gone, you are the oldest and most experienced of the spirits left in the Steppes; this responsibility you take put down. Also, Drako told me of a way we can keep in contact with one another."

"En. The Surge of minds. It will allow you to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell everything I sense."

"Yes, that"s it. Let"s do it now before you take me back to the Vlacca clan."

Mika sat down in front of the tree while Yumsa opened up her mind for Mika to absorb. Once Mika a.s.similated a portion of Yumsa"s consciousness into her, she created a little Yumsa in her mind"s s.p.a.ce.

Happy with the results, Mika opened her eyes to see Yumsa staring at her.

"What is it?"

"I can feel the connection to you...and it feels amazing!" Yumsa exclaimed as she moved even closer to Mika.

"Amazing? How so?" Mika perplex at Yumsa"s description.

"I don"t know how else to explain it...This feel is a forgotten feeling to me, I haven"t felt this way since before the war.." Yumsa started to cry again.

"Okay, well I"m happy that you"re happy." Mika patted Yumsa on the head before dusting off her clothes and making her way across the stone walkway.

A thought popped into Mika"s head when she turned back around to look at the tree.

"Yumsa, can you sense any other routes into this cavern?"

"Umm, let me check." Creating a soft breeze, Yumsa sent it throughout the cavern looking for any s.p.a.ce that leads to the surface.

"Oh!? There is one, but it"s too small for a Fae of any size to fit through."

"Good." Mika turned back around and left the cavern.

"Mikaela, why did you want to know if there is another route?"

At the top of the stairs inside the ruins, Mikaela skimmed the area before telling Yumsa the reason.

"I don"t want anyone else knowing about this place or the tree. If the other route only allows you to get in and out, then that"s enough. As for this entrance, I will destroy it." She didn"t want to take a chance of another more people finding this place.

"You remember to another route to the tree?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Stand back." Mika chanted a couple of charms at the walls of the ruins before running out as fast as she could. The minute Mika left the structure, it came tumbling down; collapsing in on its self.

Satisfied with her work, Mika had Yumsa guided her back to the crack in the wall leading into the Vlacca clan"s garden.

As Mika was making her way back to the Vlacca clan and Prince Ailwin was leading his men to their estate, Lord Kendel sat in his office cursing up a storm unaware of the trap headed his way.

"My Lord, the main hall is completely destroyed, along with part of the eastern wall and three residences-"

"Arghhh!" Kendel yelled, getting a raging headache from the list of damage Kaze, Saavi, and Jonas made.

"My Lord...as I see it, we will need at least a million to rebuild everything."

"I can see that for myself! Ply!" Kendel relaxed back into his office chair, losing his strength to deal with any more troubling matters.

For the past couple of days, he has just been taking loss after loss. First with his men at the Udava clan, then with that brat of a niece, who he still can"t find even after searching his whole estate, and now three as****es have come to demolish his home!

Looking outside his window at the sky, he wondered if the G.o.ds are forsaking him.

"Tsk...Who cares anyway? F**k the G.o.ds!" Kendel yelled at the sky while shaking his fist at the sky.

Ply and Kendel"s guards, who were standing beside him, were horrified by his actions.

"My lord!"

"Sir!"

"What, you"re afraid? Of imaginary beings? They can"t do anything to me!" Kendel continues to curse at the G.o.ds to relieve his stress.

When Kendel ended his eloquent way of telling the G.o.ds to f**k off a soldier came running over.

"Sir! There is an army approaching!"

"What?... Why would an army come here!?" Grabbing the soldier, Kendel demanded answers he couldn"t give.

"I don"t know sir." Pus.h.i.+ng the soldier away, Kendel stood from his seat and walked to the window.

Were there really G.o.ds...? he thought.

"S-S-Sorry I didn"t mean it." Kendel modestly murmured.

But to everyone"s surprise, the once sunny clear skies turn gray the next second as thunder and lighting flooded the atmosphere.

Witnessing heaven"s wrath Ply, and the guards gave their lord a wide berth. Seeing this, Kendel felt like he was being deserted by his own clan.

"What do you think you are all doing!? I am your leader, and you all are my followers. How dare you try to send off your leader by his self!"

Feeling guilty being caught in the act, the men moved closer but not as close as they once were.

"Have you identify the army?" Turning to the soldier who came from the main gate.

"Yes..."

"Who is it!?"

"Shadow Wolves..."

"The Shadow Wolves!... Prince Ailwin"s Shadow Wolves?"

"Yes."

"What is Prince Ailwin doing here?... Is he traveling with them?"

"I believe so, sir."

"Go check again!" Kendel kicked the soldier out of the office"s door.

"d.a.m.nit! Why now?" he cursed as he sat back in his chair.

A few moments later, the soldier came running back, "Yes, sir. Prince Ailwin is riding front and center."

Holding his head in his hands, Kendel tried to think why Prince Ailwin would come here.

"Was it because of the villagers?...no, it couldn"t be..." Kendel believes him and his men didn"t leave any clues behind to their part in the rebellion. They had all worn village people"s clothing when they raided and killed those big clans. Prince Ailwin couldn"t possibly know they were involved.

So what is the reason?

"Sir? What should we do?" The soldier had been waiting for a while for his orders.

"Have the men ready but do not attack...I want to know what he is here for first."

"Yes, sir."

Following his guards outside, Kendel walked to the main gate to see the Shadow Wolves army standing in an orderly fas.h.i.+on outside his gates.

Opening the front doors, Kendel stepped out to meet with Ailwin with eight of his personal guards.

"Prince Ailwin, what do I the honor of your presence today?" Kendel was slightly nervous, and it showed. Though he didn"t know the primary reason for Ailwin"s visit today, he knows he has done enough immoral things to deserve a prince"s anger.

Ailwin looked at the man standing before him and sneered in disgust.

If he didn"t own that little brat, he would never entertain in speaking with Lord Kendel.

"Lord Kendel, I"ve been charged with squas.h.i.+ng the rebels from raiding big clans in the are"

"Oh! Yes, yes, I heard about the troubles happening at the border, but what does that have to do with me?" Kendel laughed tensely.

"It doesn"t....but I received a report about a kidnapping in the area of a young miss of a prominent clan..." Ailwin observed Kendel"s anxious body language.

Kendel tense when hearing about a kidnapping, the first thing his mind went to was Mikaela.

Did Lord Tasar report him? He thought. However, remembering that Mika couldn"t be found in his estate, he calmed down.

"Umm...I"m still not understanding why you are here at my estate with your army...?" Kendel said confidently, thinking Ailwin was just acting on Lord Tasar"s report without any evidence.

"Well, Lord Kendel, can you explain this to me?" Ailwin pulled out his tablet and played Kaze"s recording.

"This..!?" Kendel stopped himself before he said something to implicate himself more.

"Lord Kendel..?" Ailwin closed the recording and put away the tablet.

"It"s a misunderstanding!"

"A misunderstanding?...okay, but we"ll still need to speak with those people as well as check your estate for the girl." Ailwin prayed that Mika found a way back into the estate or else this will look bad for him.

"Inside my estate? Why should I have to let you inside my estate!?"

"...because it will be easier for you..." Indicating his army behind him, ready and waiting for his orders.

"....fine."

"Thank you."

Kendel led Ailwin and a few of his men into his office.

"Please, seat while my guards bring those trespa.s.sers." Kendel was already formulating a plan to turn the situation around to his favor.

"Yes, those three people attacked my clan in the middle of the night, claiming I had their young miss! They burned down my buildings and hurt my people, I have every right to detain them!"

"Yes, that"s true...as long as you don"t have their young miss here."

"I don"t...you and your men can search all you want, you won"t find her here." Kendel simply said.

"Okay." Ailwin motion for his men to search all of the Vlacca clan"s estate for Mika.

As the men left the office, Kendel"s guards bought in Kaze, Saavi, Jonas.

"Prince Ailwin, these are the people..." The guard pushed the three of them forward.

Hearing Prince Ailwin was here, Kaze and Saavi immediately bent down to pay respect to their prince. While Jonas stood off to the side.

"Are you the one who sent me the video?"

"Yes, it was me." Kaze stepped forward, responding to Ailwin"s question.

"Explain to me what happened?"

"Gladly..."