Zjjan Master

Intro: Far from the sight, beyond the ocean, into the orange sky, a lizard-like creature, with bat wings, is soaring in the air. Beyond the scenery barred by the sea is the lifeless infertile land, lurked by a huge moving mountain-like creature.

What is this place? has thought by Jaino.

Nearby, a woman smiles. She is standing on the white sand, while the waves of blue salty water repeatedly move back and forth across her feet. The sea breeze and sunset polish her smile. She speaks, "The world will come to its end if that will evolve again. Are you sure you can"t slay it?"

And a voice replies that Jaino recognizes, "How many years had pa.s.sed since we"d spoken again. Woman, you seek death but you"re afraid by this tempest. You"re afraid that your conscience will remain within its existence and you"ll lose your grasp with yourself.

"I will repeat. I no longer I as it was before that I"ve forgotten when. I can"t hurt even a tiny vile little thing.

"I halted the war between the winged one and frezar. The land and sea must join the fight. They mustn"t left behind. The unity after this long battle shall cleanse the land. That is what I pursue."

The woman speaks, "Does it mean... involving me?"

"You woman do not belong this place. Your very existence must find it."

—End of Intro.

Twitters of birds onto this cold morning awaken this Jaino, on each move he does, he groans in pain. His eyelids are hard to lift. Added by his heavy head with a little bit move will tilt and twirl his world. Pain from his stress body and bandaged wounded limbs has made him hesitate for a forceful movements.

And his spirit of dark speaks, By the way, don"t think that I am a girl. We spirits are genderless.

Oh... Shut up... has replied by Jaino. He seems familiar to the bed that he has lying in. He moves to flip himself and tries to rise his body. He wants to open his eyes. Still, his eyelids are hard to lift. His hand lands to someone"s soft stomach and a woman yawns. He retorts his hand quickly and he recognizes the voice. It"s Criselia. He rolls to the other side. Unfortunately he falls face down in the floor.

Seriously, why"s so afraid of my previous master, has said by Jaino"s spirit, a spirit of dark.

Do you even need to ask? Who the h.e.l.l would want to sleep with that ancient lady?

You"re rude. She"s quite gorgeous, right? Oh, you"re blushing.

I"m not! He hears Criselia"s long yawns and she speaks,

"What was that Jaino? Huh, where are you?"

Somehow this Jaino can"t reply and wants to cry. Despite of the pain, he endures the embarra.s.sing situation and lies in the floor. He pretends asleep. He hears the nearing movement in the bed. "Huh? Hey, Jaino, why are you sleeping on the floor?" has asked by Criselia.

"Can"t you— Ugh, can"t you just get it?"

"My intuition was right. You"re awake. Did you just fall from the bed?"

"Ah, this woman! Criselia, help me already."

She yawns as she speaks, "Help you for what?"

"Stand."

"There must be a compensation."

"I told you—" He tries to stand, but his arms are in pain and lack of strength. He falls down again. "Argh... please, help me already."

Criselia stands off the bed, and she grabs Jaino"s arms and she wraps it on her shoulders. "You"re heavy, and I"m a woman. How cruel..."

This Jaino averts his face. He could smells her fragrance, igniting the heat of his body. He thinks, You"re just a monster.

"Ugh, bad breath," has commented by Criselia.

Anger circulating through his vain, he, Jaino, wants to evaporate. The creaking sound of the door being open makes their eyes see the dismayed face of a swordswoman standing the outside. She speaks, "Lady, is that man hara.s.sing you?"

Criselia grabs Jaino"s wrist and she lands his hand to her breast. With the pitied face, she replies, "Yes, he"s more than clinging to me."

"If you may please, have distance. I must dissect that person."

Seeing her unsheathing her sword and walking going near, Jaino struggles to walk away from Criselia. He falls and he crawls fast on the floor. "Taila, stop this! We should fight no more! Criselia don"t get along so easily!"

"He rubs my stomach earlier," has added by Criselia.

The swordswoman walks with haste. And Jaino, with the feeling of fright and along by the pain of his body, he leans his back to the wall. Seeing the woman stabs the floor between his legs, Jaino speaks, "Please Taila, I didn"t mean it."

She smiles. "Hone your new skills quick. I wanna fight you without restrain."

Seriously, this woman is real, has thought by Jaino.

"We had touch once, I"m not the fake."

"Okay, okay. Let me rest. Please?" I"ve forgotten, she can read mind.

"By the way Jaino. I"ll sleep here also for the meantime since Mrs. Taila allows me to do so," has said by Criselia.

The swordswoman, Taila, helps Jaino back to the bed. She speaks as she walks back to the door, "Sister maniac, you should visit your Kilie. Meda her subordinate had told me your sister suffered some loss on her business. Also woman—" She gestures to Criselia, "—be sure to rest. Refrain your l.u.s.t."

"Am I that indecent?" has mumbled by Criselia.

"I be off to duty now. Jaino, be sure to take your responsibilities. Some of your men need your a.s.sistance. Speak to me in the office." And the door is creaking. And it shuts.

Settled back to the bed, Jaino, his accompany, lying beside him, behind him in the bed, is Criselia. He can smell her fragrance that he wants to resist. He hears her speaks, "Jaino, we"re now alone." Her words destruct this wounded person"s mind. With the, what he knows ancient lady, having the body of seventeen, beside him, behind him, the temptation is gravitating. "You know, someone promised me the other day. He said, he would tighten our relationship. He was not kidding right?" This wounded Jaino realizes whom she has meant.

He thinks, I wanna rest, someone please, tell her. And how the h.e.l.l she"s here in the first place.

"Jaino, you"re not sleeping right? By the way, I saved a child yesterday. I wish I have that kind of girl. She"s cute." Her words knock his dignity. "It"s so hot here I need to remove my blouse."

He flips and rises while he says, "Seriously, Criselia, this is a military building—" to only find her smiling, with cloths she actually hasn"t remove.

"I"m just kidding."

Blood circulates through his vain, he wants to evaporate. The door opens with the shocked Ritzel standing the outside. "She"s not my mother. She"s not ma"am Kilie. She"s not even Ms. Judith. Seriously, womanizer!" She shuts the door close.

With the guilty feeling, Jaino thinks, I want to die.

Another moment again, Jaino asks Criselia, "Criselia … You had told me, you know about every race." The woman hugs him. He endures the ache on his painful skin while he ignores the temptation.

"You"re in pain with your question, emotionally," has stated by Criselia. "Not everything I could know. Ask."

"Do dralks die if they break their rules?"

"Jaino, it"s not about breaking their rules. It"s about not achieving what they want. As long as there are ways, they will not die. But if they become cornered and lost any hope they could utilize. They suffer emotional breakdown to a sudden death if they"re not dealt quick."

"Is there no other way to save them? I mean, even if they could not achieve their desire?"

"Simple. Give them a lifelong hope while not allowing them to reach their goal. Or convince them to accept the truth." She chuckles. She leans her lips to Jaino"s shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

"I already know about this. I had failed once. I just want someone to help me lighten my mind." He closes his eyes. The realization becomes a burden to his intent. He thinks, Kilie...

From the Jelfyr Kingdom"s eastern wall, to the deep of Akrosdasan Forest, home by ancient tall trees, a nude man, sitting in the huge branch, gazes down to the path where few people— size as ants since they"re seen from afar— are walking.

This nude man, his body is deforming and his skin color is changing.

Black feathers are appearing while he"s shrinking. Then black wings spread as the nude man has turned into a crow and it flies.

Gaile, is one of the race of norims. Some of this race can mutated to another form of species. Others became half-breed.

Above in a branch the crow lands. Far from it sights, it watches those people— three are groomed wealthy —entering into the fenced hut. The crow glides and lands into the hut"s roof.

Greeting and loud welcomes are roaring the place. Inside the hut, no table or seats, the eyes-closed old man, Eladin, and his subordinates are feasting their meals, varied from different meats and fruits.

One of the wealthy groom men speaks, "Don"t waste time. If you want to a.s.sa.s.sinate Raume, now is the time."

"I am doing what is right," has replied by Eladin, the eyes-closed old man, "The time has not yet come."

Another one of the groom men responses, "What are you waiting for? The kingdom"s security has been tauten. All over the kingdom, soldiers are roaming night and day. They"re vigilant. Would you want them notice our betrayal and arrest us first? We"re not safe for their hounds."

Eladin replies, "I demand you all to settle down your temper before I"ll lost patience. I can explain my side. Sit and join us." Some of the guests sit. And some of Eladin"s men reach them two bowls of fruits and two bowls of different roasted meats. While Eladin gnaws small piece of food, he speaks, "My spy reported to me that Raume is surrounded by some soldiers and colonels. It"s very difficult for my men to make a move. And my location is quite far to make a move myself.

"All we need to do is confirm the location of Jesifer. Without Jesifer, Raume is vulnerable to me."

"You will infiltrate the tower, are you insane?" has asked by one of the groomed man.

"That is the easiest I find. And it will save your worries. Ambush and infiltration with my men have a high chance of failing. You do not want to be trace down, am I right?" Somehow those groomed men find Eladin"s significance agreeing. "Be at ease. You will hear everything later." The woman I had face before was probably the best that the kingdom could provide. I can face more than fifty of her. How amusing, there would be no pity for Raume.

It was your fault Yaume for hiding me the daughter of my bloodline.

Located in Mt. Ma Eling, into the Shrine, owned by the Lightning Clan,

In the bedroom, Aminette sits on her bed and meditates. The door opens and she hears the nearing footsteps. A woman speaks, "Ma"am, you must not push yourself."

"Oh Cally, you"re much beautiful with my dress."

"Ma"am," has responded by Cally. She sits on the bed while she continues, "I know myself better. Please, I beg you... For the meantime though, I"ll be staying here." The central general denied my request. I guess they are busy. Then she lies in the bed.

"You"re too welcome. It"s not lonely here to have you around. I must do my responsibilities first, okay?" She meditates again and her vision wanders back to the northern part of Deep Forest. After her vision has reached to an empty cave chamber, she thinks, They escaped. I must hurry and inform Maritis about this.

Meanwhile in the secret hideout of Jelfyr Shadow Army...

Sai Mea has received the reports from the royal squads and those units return to their task. In her thoughts, Many n.o.bles complain to our way of inspection and security. But the number of my men isn"t enough to monitor all of them. Specially, most these n.o.bles are away already. I hope we can maintain the record of their whereabouts... as possible... Uh, I mustn"t be frail and shall endure their complains... It"s hard to identify those knaves.

Maritis appears and kneels. "My master, I have brought some good news and bad news. What would you like to hear first?"

"Maritis... I wonder about that. What"s the matter? You have a bittersweet face... Where is the lively atmosphere? I guess... Let me hear the bad news then."

"Eladin has managed to escape. Forgive me..."

"Thi-this is bad... Do you have any speculation?"

"With these few days have pa.s.sed I hadn"t had any premonition. Forgive me again. There is no guarantee what he will do... He cannot be underestimated. I"d gained warning from someone... Being lord of the underworld means he can rival our queen."

"...I want reports from Shaira then, in time to time. Sigh... how about the good news."

"Yaume has finally regained her consciousness."

Hearing those words, Sai Mea"s feeling gradually lightens. "Who cures my sister?"

"Our queen was lucky to meet someone intimated about Yaume"s illness."

Sai Mea then smiles while her eyes are in tears. "I have failed to find cure for my lil sis. But I"m glad, someone did. I can"t forgive myself to doubt on our prince"s promise.

"Maritis."

"Yes."

"We must do whatever we can."

"Master... I"ve always follow your command." Even if death shall be upon me.

"Good. Eladin won"t succeed."

Zahamara and the castle guards have headed Sai Mea"s plea. They"ve joined force and monitor the inside and out of Jelfyr. Into the east of southwest entrance of the kingdom, behind the guard shed is a military headquarters where Zahamara has appointed himself.

The colonel, who has retrieved his own sword from a delivery, speaks to Zahamara, "Sire, some n.o.bles have been spotted in Akrosdasan by our men. It seems they exited from the northeast entrance and headed down to the south of the forest. Our scout, who stalked those n.o.bles, has went back failure. His a.s.sertion that those n.o.bles had gone in a sudden. Our scout is highly affirmed that he wasn"t noticed by any means. Would you believed this sire?"

"Gone, so suddenly..." I have bad feelings about this. It seems Sai Mea is taking action against the underworld. "Colonel, we gotta best prepare."

"Aye, sire!"

"Inform the scout to remain in the area. And inform our men if they found the same uncanny thing in the kingdom. We need a.s.sistance from the fifth exceptional general. We can"t expect information from Sai Mea."

Initiative may not secure

Resolution against ill outcomes

Experience comes from engaging