The Blade Of God-Chapter 53: The Forest Of Arcane (Slash I)

Chase sighs, rolling his eyes for the empt time as he watches Amur glare at Jeremiah and Zayn at the front of the knights, chatting away amongst themselves as they’re both unconscious and slowly scoot closer to each other to softly discuss whatever topic they’re lost in this time. Last time was fruit, time after that was sword training, now it’s favorite cakes and desserts.

"I really liked those sweet cookies you gifted me!" Zayn said, "I forgot the name-uh—I-it was-...?"

"Macaroons?" Jeremiah asked, raising a eyebrow as he softly watches Zayn vigorously nod her head.

"Yes! The green one is my favorite!" Zayn chirps. "The yellow one...was interesting..."

Jeremiah snorts, raising an armored hand to politely cover his mouth as he softly chuckles, eyeing Zayn with glimmering eyes and-did that stone-cold man just laugh?

"Y-you’re laughing at me?" Zayn asked, a pout in her voice. "Please do not tell me you like such a flavor? What even is that?"

"I believe banana flavored." Jeremiah said, watching with a soft smile as Zayn gasp, making noises as if she’s throwing up.

"That explains a lot." Zayn mumbles, shaking her head. "What a waste of such a tasty treat!"

"Did he just smile...?" Chase turns his head, watching Amur watch the pair with a dissatisfied expression. "What the hell? Is he trying to be weird or what?"

"I mean, Zayn is pretty funny." Chase said. "Plus, what’s wrong with that-?"

"I haven’t seen him smile except when he’s talking to our Zayn." Amur said. "It’s making me nervous...this isn’t a good idea."

"Why...?" Chase asked, raising a thin ash eyebrow. "I don’t know the guy too well, but he doesn’t seem bad and-I don’t know, Zayn gets along with him very well. He seems nice enough—plus he’s strong, smart, knows what he’s doing—not sure what the problem is?"

"You’re speaking about him as if he’s a suitor for her." Amur snaps, turning her head to give Chase a soft glare. "Do you remember that he is the Captain of the biggest knightage in this kingdom? Or how about that Zayn is a runaway princess and that wouldn’t be good? Not at all-!"

"Jeez! Okay, I hear you, but you act like it’s even that serious." Chase said. "They’re onto just chatting-."

"And what if it becomes something more...?" Amur asked. "What then?"

"Amur, have you forgotten that Zayn is young?" Chase said. "Let her have her moment, Amur. I don’t see the big issue-."

"That is the issue!" Amur yells in a whisper. "What if it becomes one?"

Chase sighs, watching as Zayn softly giggles due to something Jeremiah said. Chase doesn’t have the heart to fight Amur nor go against Zayn, so he only sighs and shuts his mouth, riding his horse in silence.

...

After a day filled with more horse riding and travel, finally the knight party settles down to camp at a new site. It’s the same routine like the day before, but after the knights settle down to sit along the fire and eat fried skewered fish, berries, and drink kegs of water, it is Rel who twirls his wrist, summoning a large harp with his light magic and holding the large instrument in his hands. He uses his long, slim fingers to pluck the harp’s strings, before he begins to play a light hearted melody.

"Wow! Rel is so talented!" Zayn mumbles to no one in particular, but it is Jeremiah sitting beside her right--Amur and Chase to her left--that curtly nods in agreement.

"Rel always is a sense of peace." It’s Clarke who chimes in, smiling and clapping her hands to a rhythm Rel begins to string. Rel turns to Clarke, offering her a soft smile. Clarke almost stutters in her clap, a soft flush hitting her cheeks as she quickly looks to her feet. "He always knows when to cheer up the mood..."

"Although we do not know what this journey brings," It’s Prince Miuoi who speaks next, casually plopping his behind on a log and sitting with his back to the fire as he hands Clarke another fish skrewer, "that doesn’t mean we have to wallace into the unknown with heavy hearts, hm?"

"Sure, Prince Mioui, but Your Highness, respectfully, you’ll most likely be alright after this..." It’s Mill who hugs his knees to his chest, softly mumbling his word downtroddenly as he fills his cheeks with berries. "But we’re most likely screwed, cooked, baked, fried at this point. The Gods never play fair, so why should we expect our lives?"

"Jeez, way to keep up with the good mood..." Lia said, rolling her blue eyes as she flicks a fried fish scale into the fire. "Freaking Mill and his always pessimistic attitude. Will it kill you to at least fake it?"

"They seem to be doing that pretty fine." Aliane, from next to Lia, mumbles under his breathe as he watches Li-Li and Shaka giggle and stand up, hooking arms with each other to dance to Rel’s upbeat song. Koven silently claps and smiles along with Zayn hooting from her seat while Co quietly reads a book from his corner and Sia sharpens her long nails by the fire. Chase emotionless thumbs up the girls dancing while Amur, from besides him, pouts and sneaks soft glares at a very knowing Jeremiah, who purposely avoids Amur’s pointed looks to sudden be accidentally nudged by a very chirpy Zayn, who sheepishly apologizes for her action.

"Even if they pretend," it is Jeremiah who speaks, staring at his fried fish as the words from his mouth leave him unconsciously. "I believe there isn’t wrong hoping for good fortune to come from this. Keeping your head up to the light--there isn’t a thing wrong with it."

Zayn slowly stops her clapping, turning to face Jeremiah with a surprised expression on her face. She shifts her eyes, and she meets eyes with Amur, who has mixed emotions drawn in her expression.

...

The next morning the knights pack up, riding in mostly silence as they travel to the edge of the kingdom, where the portal leading to the God’s realm rest.

"God Shiva gave me the key to open the portal." Prince Miuoi said, hanging his head out the carriage as the knights ride up a hill to reach the edge of Avia. "Magician Aliane and Magician Lia do their mage thing; cast this weird spell he gave me, then we use some really odd key thing and-if I am too be honest, I am not too sure why the Gods always make things so weird and complicated-oh wait, I do. There Gods."

Jeremiah scoffs from his horse as he feels himself sway heavily back and forth, climbing up a sturdy hill until the group of knights finally arrive to the border of Avia-the mixed colors from each barrier key--right now excluding Aliashmizazz--appears like a rainbow colored glass shield surrounding the area as a large, golden, yet hollow ring stands before the protective layer. The ring seems old and antique, yet it hollowly sings a song of croaks and moaning the closer the knights ride to the circle.

"Is this the portal he speaks of?" Jeremiah asked, eyeing the golden ring with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! This, it is!" Prince Miuoi said, hoping out of his carriage and plopping his polished boots on the grassy field. He strides forward with a large bag in his hand, only stopping in his tracks a foot in front of the hollow ring. "I guess I’ll be the one to start things off."

Prince Mioui reaches out his right hand, closing his bright eyes as he mumbles a small enchantment before his pale arm covers itself in a dark sleeve radiant sparks of aqua electricity. Miuoi sighs, shutting his eyes tighter as he lifts the bag in his hand and quickly drops it to the ground, watching the bag suddenly burst into black flames; the black flames begin to circle around a glowing object as said flames morph into puffs of black smoke, circling itself around a large key shaped like a lighting bolt.

"Magician Aliane." Miuoi said, turning his head and nodding to the mage. "Please cast a transportation spell on the key, and aim the key to the ring."

"Yes, Your Highness." Aliane lazily mutters, twirling his hand as his blue staff with flowers appears in his hand. He spins his staff before aiming its head to the key, mumble soft words under his breath before his blue eyes glow, and soft specks of letters swirl around his staff and around the key.

"للوصول إلى الله، أذهب." Aliane softly chants, lifting his staff to the air before slamming his staff down. The key lifts in the air, shaking as if it is about to burst before it screams, hurriedly soaring through the sky and through the ring.

The ring is silent for a moment before it shakes, crying and croaking until a large, spectacular, bright light is birthed from the hollow ring.

Lia sighs, rolling her eyes as she twirls her own staff and slams it to the ground, lifting her hand and snapping her fingers as golden dust swirls around her staff and sprays itself onto each knight.

"Just a spell for protection and luck." Lia said, watching as some of the knights confusedly eye her. "Now, shall we get ready to head into the God’s realm, Captain?"

The knights nod their head, eyeing each other with mixed emotions before it’s Jeremiah who nods his head in agreeance, beckoning his knights to follow as he tightens his hands on his horses’s reigns and keeps his eyes forward.

"Let us depart, my knights." Jeremiah said. "May we be blessed throughout out journey. It is by faith, and faith by so. In Gods we trust."

The knights share a look before nodding their heads, gulping down their fears as they follow Jeremiah through the bright ring of light.