Elmira Sielstone: The Empress

Chapter Seven

What the f-” Alexis stopped himself from finishing his words as he saw his grandfather looking at him.

They have just arrived inside a Cave, just inside the forest, where Elmira had teleported them to make them safe.

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat and looked away, avoiding Smith's eyes.

“What’s that Pa? Have you already learned Teleportation?”

"No. Someone we can't see, did." He shrugged and sat on a rock near him as Elmira's outside, putting a Blinding Protection using her Qarath to protect and to keep the place hidden from anyone.

"Someone we can't see?" Alexis lights up a stick using his Qarath near him, giving a little light inside and finding a much bigger wood to provide them heat and light.

"Yes. She said, Gemus are coming so she teleported us here." He casually said, as he decided to help Alexis to find woods just around them, with the help of the light Alexis was holding.

They had collected enough woods to provide them light. The two merged and fixed the woods on the sandy floor and then Alexis provided fire using what he had learned, to light up the woods.

Elmira has finished putting up a barrier to protect them, outside, but she's still standing there, watching their surroundings.

After checking that everything's alright, and there was no danger near them, she enters the cave.

She was halfway from where the two are, when she suddenly felt so dizzy and nearly lost her balance. She stopped, and rested her arm on the wall next to her, to support her weight, and to prevent herself from falling.

"Who's that?" Alexis noticed her as Elmira kept on making small noises.

As he is so curious, to where it is coming from and who it was, he follows the sound from where it is coming.

He slowly walked near her, and could finally see her silhouette, as Elmira's against the light coming from the entryway of the cave.

He stops when he finally gets beside her, to see her clearly.

"It's you again." He greets his teeth when he finally realizes who it is, in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Elmira looked up and met his gaze, blazing from anger. Her brown-emerald shade eyes are glowing in the dark and as her hair glows brighter and brighter.

"Where did you leave your girlfriend?" Elmira closed her eyes, enduring her pain, as she felt her eyes changing colors, showing how she was having a hard time controlling herself from being affected by those she had marked.

"Mira. What's happening?" Smith rushed towards them when he heard them talking, echoing inside all over the cave.

"What did you call her Pa? Mira?" Alexis couldn't process what he had heard from him and faced his grandfather, glancing at them back and forth.

"Pa. Did you call her Mira?" Smith didn't even answer him nor give him any attention as he's supporting Elmira to sit on a rock just beside them.

"Pa!" He shouted in frustration, as he remembers how her grandpa calls her little sister 'Mira', when she was still alive.

"It's not important, you i***t! Your girlfriend is being killed right now!" Elmira couldn't contain her anger and annoyance, and shouted at him, as he seemed to not know what he should be worrying more about.

Alexis didn't move and had been glued to his feet, taking time to process what Elmira had said in his mind.

"Pa. We need you here. Get the lady named Rebecca right now and bring her to Gairon. Let's meet there. It's really urgent. I’ll protect you from the Gemus, so don’t worry. She's just near Havhiah."

Elmira contacted the King through his mind to give him awareness of what was happening inside the forest, giving him instructions on how to help them, as he insisted on helping when they were still outside the gates.

"What's happening?" The Queen suddenly showed up to both Smith and Alexis' mind as soon as Elmira finished giving the King an order or more likely a favor.

Elmira heard her again talking only to their dreams as The Queen can't reach her mind.

"Your son just left his girlfriend unattended in the middle of all the Gemus near Havhiah's. I think he doesn't know that she's still following him, that's why she's being subjected to Gemus' meal right now." Elmira said, answering her question for the two, fastly as she could, as she's still enduring the pain that they have caused her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Elmira saw Alexis moving towards the entryway of the cave, but he didn’t seem to hear her.

“Stop.” She ordered using her Stopping Qarath, and that made him stop from going outside the cave, nearly stepping outside Elmira’s blinding barriers.

He looked back to Elmira, still seated on a rock and seriously looking directly towards him.

“What do you think you’re doing Alexis?” She calmly asked while slowly concealing her pain inside her, as it is the best thing she can do for now, to not be a hindrance for their goal. If she’ll continuously feel the pain her people made her, she’ll just be a nuisance. Although knowing the consequences of what she’s doing, she still chooses to do it and face the triple pain that she’ll be facing once she removes the pain concealer in her system.

“She needs me. What the hell are you doing?” Alexis is trying to be freed from Elmira’s Qarath, gluing him from where he’s standing.

“And what will you do there then? Have you forgotten how they have trapped you before? You couldn’t even do anything to save yourself, and you even dared to seal your Qarath.” She stood up as she finished making herself numb from the pain. “Now tell me, how can you help her?”

“How did you know that?” Alexis asked in confusion, furrowing.

“Know what? You, sealing your Qarath? I was there. And...” Elmira had stopped in the middle of explaining as she saw the King right in front of the gate of the forest inside her mind.

“It’s fine. They won’t see you, you have my protection. Get her out of their sight. And if you can heal wounds, it’s better if you apply it to her. We’ll see you in Gairon.” Elmira had seen her father in her head hesitating to come near the site where the Gemus were already almost killing Alexis’ woman, so she gave him the power of assurance through her words.

Jack teleported to the forest from the gates, and landed just near all the Gemus surrounding the woman, now lying down on the ground, as she had lost a lot of Qaraths now.

He slowly and carefully walks towards them, shaking a little as he's nervous to get near them, when he finally had proven that they couldn't feel his existence just near them.

The King grabs the woman on the ground as fast as he could, focusing on what he needs to do, and teleports as soon as possible to Gairon, to escape from all the Gemus around.

“And what?” Alexis is still waiting for what Elmira's going to say that has been cut out due to the King.

“And... I’ll explain some other time.” She shrugged. “Just remember this. Do not make any decision when you’re too drawn into a problem. Think before you act.” Elmira turned her back towards him and started walking into the dark cave.

“Follow me, if you want to see her alive.” She said casually while taking the path inside the cave, and removing the Qarath that he had used to stop Alexis, making sure that he can't go past the barrier.

“Pa Smith. Are you done getting the black ginger? I can help if you ever need it.” Elmira said through Smith's mind,

Smith finds his way earlier inside the cave, as he felt a presence of a black ginger just near them, when the two were still busy chatting. It is also one of the ingredients they needed for the antidote.

“This one’s got a lot of nutrients.” Smith came from another pathway of the cave, from the left of the passageway which Elmira is taking. “It’s so healthy.” He said smiling from ear to ear, being proud of what he had found while marching behind Elmira.

“Where’s Alexis?” He stops, noticing his grandson was not around and was not following them. It was dark inside, and the only light they have is that of Elmira’s glowing hair highlights. It glows to the extent that it’s even providing them light to see their way.

“He’s walking behind you.” She said calmly without stopping and looking back.

As soon as she said it, Smith saw Alexis walking tardily towards them, eyeing the ceiling, and his hands in his sweater's pocket. He smiled timidly when he saw his grandfather waiting for him in front.

“Are you alright?” He slightly smiled for the question he’s not sure of answering. They both walked behind Elmira quietly as he didn’t feel like talking, as he had a lot of things going around his mind. Things that he surely needs an explanation.

They reached the end of the cave, welcoming them by a blinding light from outside. The two men blocked their eyes from the light with their palms, while Elmira didn't even bother to do so, as she didn't need to adjust her sight from the light.

“This is the Garden inside the forbidden forest where the rarest plants and flowers live. This is your dream place Pa. Welcome to Gairon.” She relayed towards Smith's mind.

Smith removed her hands blocking her sight when Elmira talked to her in her mind, adapting from the brightness of the place. He is so astonished by what he is currently seeing right in front of his eyes.

“Where is she?” Alexis asked as soon as he had adjusted from the brightness.

“There in the middle of Kadupul plants.” As soon as Elmira finished answering, He rushed towards her, running fastly as he could to see her loved ones, leaving the two behind him.

“I have only imagined this place. Is this even true? I’m not dreaming right Mira?” Smith is still in awe, staring at the place.

“No Pa. It’s real. You’re really here in Gairon. This is my simple thank you gift for you as you had made a lot of sacrifices in Glith and here in Harzenia for Elmira, your granddaughter.” She smiled genuinely, "Go, tour yourself around." She let him go to see the beauty of Gairon himself, as he's wishing to see the place, even when they were still in Glith. He's considering this dream as his last wish before he even dies.

"Becca. Wake up!" Alexis shouted on top of his lungs, echoing all over the place.

Elmira sighed as he heard it, and started walking towards them.

Soon as she arrived, she kneeled down to see the Hazzle's body on the ground, nearly lifeless. She's so pale and a little colder than the normal temperature of Hazzles.

"Have you performed first aid on her?" She looked towards the King beside them, who's still shaking from the breathtaking work he had done in front of all the Gemus.

Elmira sighed heavily, watching him tremble in fear, and shock. She couldn't take it anymore and stood up, walked towards him and grabbed his wrist.

"I'm sorry. I never thought of what you may feel towards them." She's healing him from his wrist and the shaking slowly stopped as he is calming little by little.

"But you should be brave when facing them. Your people need you more than ever. I won't always be there to save every single Hazzle that needs help. So please help yourselves and your people."

Elmira removed her hands on him after calming him. She shifted her gaze towards Alexis watching her from what she's doing.

"Are you a Gemus?" Elmira furrowed from what he had heard from him.

"What makes you think of me as a Gemus?" Elmira said, crossing her arms in front of him.

"You had just used your palm to cure Dad."

Elmira grinned. "You really studied them a lot." She said. "But, that's not an acceptable reason for you to call me, as one of them." He walks back again and kneels down beside the Hazzle, lying on the ground.

"Step aside. I'll take care of this." She said, not looking at him.

"What will you do?"

"What do you think?" Elmira pushed him aside and started observing her body. She has wounds all over her body, a sign that she had strangled and fought for her life, but just didn’t work. It was the Gemus she had fought with afterall, and whatever she does to save her life, will never work.

"Next time, make sure to lock her up inside her room if she doesn’t want to listen." Elmira sighed again as this will be the second time she would be bringing back a Hazzle's life and Qarath in her stay. It’s not been a while since they arrived in Harzenia, but things were tough and getting harder as time passed by.

“Find two feathers of Spix’s Macaw in the area, while I cure her.” But he didn’t move, he stayed there beside her woman. She looked at him waiting for him to go, but there’s no sign that he’ll leave her side.

“Aren’t you leaving?” She seriously asked.

“I’ll stay here. I can’t just leave her life to a stranger.”

Elmira raised a brow, and grinned.

“Heard that? He says I’m a stranger. That’s how grateful he is seeing me around.” She said through his father’s mind, while avoiding having eye contact with him.

“Okay then. I’ll be giving you two options.” She said with seriousness, changing the topic.

“I’ll get the feathers, you’ll heal her, but her life couldn’t be guaranteed. Or, you’ll leave and get the ingredient yourself, I’ll heal her here, assuring that her life and her Qarath will be back to normal. What do you think?” She slowly said, pointing out every important detail of what she was saying, making him understand everything.

“What is the probability that you can bring her Qarath back? No one had ever done that, so how can you be so sure?” He said, looking at her doubtfully.

Elmira narrowed her eyes looking at him in disbelief. He had just questioned her capabilities.

“Your driver died.” She said casually, looking away. “He’s Qaraths has been drained by the Gemus who trapped you on your way in the Academy. And now, he’s alive and kicking.” She said, grinning. “There was only you and him with a bunch of Gemus around. Who do you think would help you then?”

He’s not convinced, though a part of him is still asking what had happened back there, that he ended up inside his Dorm inside the Academy.

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you just get the feather and check her after? It’s not like I’m going to kill her here. Besides, your father is here, if you haven’t forgotten.” It’s the very first time someone has questioned her capabilities, and worst, it’s Alexis. She hasn’t explained herself this way before to anyone, not even to Smith, and Redina’s an exemption.

“It’s your choice anyway. But if you can’t decide for the next minute, she’ll die.” Elmira went silent after speaking, waiting for him to make his decision.

“What’s happening?” Smith arrived beside them, looking at the Hazzle lying helplessly on the grass. “She hasn't regained her strength?”

No one answered him. Elmira’s losing her patience, Alexis still doubting her, and Jack the King, didn’t know what’s happening between the two as he’s still thinking about how he managed to escape the Gemus, although he’s already calmed, he couldn’t stop thinking about it over and over again, not minding what was going on around him at the very moment.

“He’s being stubborn Pa. Can you perhaps go and look for the other missing ingredients?” He nodded quickly as a response to Elmira. “You need to pick up two feathers of Spix’s Macaw, and a Kadupul Flower. And if ever you had crossed with the other ingredients, you can get it already. I’ll just show this man what he wants. And please, let him go with you.” She said towards his mind and motioned her head towards the King’s direction who was staring blankly on the space.

“Make sure he does something. He needs to unwind. He’s still in shock from getting into Gemus' ways just to get this lady. Thank you Pa. And sorry.” She added,.

“No worries. We’ll get moving.” He grabbed the King in his shoulders as soon as he arrived beside him, and they took off.

"Did you just talk through his mind?" Alexis asked, looking at her in disbelief. He had seen her using a lot of Qaraths just this day alone.

"You really have a lot of questions, do you?"She said, looking at him. “I’ll let you observe what I will do. But move aside.” Elmira had lost her patience towards Alexis but she remained calm and undisturbed.

She started curing her. A red smoke-like-flame light came out of her hand, placed in front of the Hazzle’s face. Alexis is watching how she’s doing it, but he can’t see the red light coming from Elmira’s hands, he’s still doubting but he didn’t intervene with what Elmira’s doing.

"You're really a Gemus." After Elmira had finished healing the Hazzle and giving back her Qarath, she had received a comment from Alexis.

"I think you should be thanking me, instead of saying that." Elmira sat on the ground, waiting for the Hazzle to open her eyes, when the two who came for the ingredients, came back.

“Bring them back inside the Academy.” She looked at his Father, ordering him to get a work done. “Pa Smith and I will get going, back to the Palace with the ingredients. The antidote must be done before the sun sets, so we must hurry. Just find your way back Pa.” Elmira said, fastly as she could. She had used a lot of Qarath and energy, and she's feeling so drained even with her concealing Qarath, and it only means that she had reached her new body's capabilities.

Elmira and Smith had waited for them to disappear before they took off, also using her Teleportation.

They had arrived outside Elmira’s room. But as soon as they had set their foot on the floor, Elmira lost her balance.

“Mira.” Smith caught her in his arms, supporting her weights.

“I… I’m fine…” She tried to stand on her own and put her hands on the walls to support her balance.

“Make sure to distribute the antidote before the day ends Pa.” She said in between her heavy breathing. “I’m counting on you.” She continued, before she left him there, standing.

As soon as she entered her room, she dropped on the floor, unconscious… And no one has ever known.