(Dandeline's POV)
Tired from the sound of the clack of my heels, the only smart move missing is to turn this whole place upside down in order to find my son! All this time, Hedwelch is the only one besides Maestrelia and her friends as they gather around the Moon Goddess. Where's Danteleon? On my way to the crowd of children, Lanasia starts the conversation with sarcasm,
"Hey, Mrs. Eldar, what is making you weary? The goddess is here."
"Yes, she's here but my other son is not. Have you seen him?"
That's when she noticed the issue. "No. Maybe he's just playing around in the castle? I'll inform the Omegas," she volunteered. Once again, I scan the area to the limit of my perspective, however, my kind boy is nowhere to be seen. I called Hedwelch and he said that "He left with Ms. Hrista a while ago." It also seems that Acro is with them and Hedwelch confirmed.
"Do not leave the Moon Goddess's side," I said.
Scurrying into the forest alone, I make a quick possession inside Acro's body and find out that Hrista is holding Danteleon's hand, taking him somewhere just the two of them. I unleash all of my spellbooks roundabout me and flip all the pages at the same time until I find the only land among my creations where the two beings are. I hold that book and flip the page slowly, then the whole ground flips into the place where I intended to be: the castle of Asfara—this teleportation only takes effect on me.
The place is empty of living things except me. Not from a far distance, I saw them coming inside a house. "Hrista!!" I yelled. Unexpectedly, I bump into a transparent wall! I grope for the wall and find myself caged inside this glass boundary. The first solution that came into my mind is to destroy it. "I command you, destroy this... No. Read this spell," I recited with my spellbook.
The alphabet of the spell glows and it is written all over the place. "I knew it." This spell reflects the attack on the caster. I almost destroyed myself! Hence, there is no other way to get me out of this trap but to play with the condition—cheating may involve possessing someone from the outside to destroy this or possess the caster itself to lift this. Although I cannot ignore who set this up, my son comes first in my priorities.
Pondering another spell, I walk to the center of the cage until I step on an enchast that draws its glow until it becomes whole, I'm in the center of it. This is when everything turned illusional, the castle and sky are rotating in a spiral around me like I'm in the middle of a tornado. I startle when the hole of thorns is included which is rotating higher than the ground. The only thing that isn't moving is the floor.
The rumbling noise intensifies the suspense as I wait attentively in silence. Finally, the show began when a dragon appeared from above and blew heavy fire on me! Upon raising my hand, an enchast shields me from this ambush and then the dragon breaks it with its claws. It groaned toward me until I whistled through my fingers, the dragon tames.
Casually, I caress its jaw and ask, "Who summoned you?"
However, this useless dragon runs wild again and attacks me! I run underneath it and as usual—especially with these heels, I stumble easily! As the dragon blows fire at me, I lift the hem of my gown and cover myself until the fire stops. Another score for me as I stand up unscathed in front of this creature wearing armor, holding a shield, and a spear.
I strike the spear into its chest, the dragon agonizes until it shatters into small pieces of stones. I drop the shield and exclaim, "Show yourself, coward! I don't have time to play with your dogs!"
"Welcome to your demise," said by an old man standing on the moving staircase: the misogynist Eleus.
"You? Of all people... And what is this all about? My demise? Are you a jobless criminal now?"
"You do not deserve to hold such power as an Eldar."
"Why? because I'm a woman?"
"A great power should not fall into the hands of the ones with little heart," he asserted. A giant fist made of rock appeared above and as he swipes down his fist, the rock follows.
I, impatiently, blow the rock fist with my mouth and it turns into countless bubbles. "And who are you to bring down judgment upon me!?" I yelled and then realized that I wasted it since the old man is gone. While searching for him, I hear the bubbles popping violently and continuously until they explode as one! I'm lucky enough that this armor is as rigid as my pride, my body is still whole after all.
Another man says, "You're not good with reflexes."
I look at him with extreme disgust. He's the grown-up Moon Priest who has been there side by side with Eleus. "What do you expect? I'm a magician, not a warrior." I mock, "Unlike you, I cannot contain my disappointment for wasting your life tailing that rebellious enchanter."
"You think you are so pure with a trash tongue!"
His enchast spins toward me at a high speed and I switch my location to the moving staircase, avoiding the explosion. The truth is not trash! Only the foolish will devalue it! Moreover, I never expected these idiots to seek vengeance!
Contemplating these twists, I suddenly slip down the staircase when it turns into a slide. And when I fall down the edge, I enchant the whole length of the floor into fluffy cotton. Thus, my landing is safe! I shake off the dust on my armor, letting not a stigma of fear touch me. But then, later on, I found myself surrounded by more enchanters. There are five of them and these men are setting their enchasts against me.
"What a bunch of dead gentlemen," I complained. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Surrender your power lest we kill you," one of them said.
"Is this an order from the supreme court of mages? I failed to receive the notice if any. Show me."
And none of them responded.
"How come you concluded that I should surrender my power? If this is not an order from the court, then this is an independent assassination, no?" It's somewhat entertaining that my haters made an assembly. Have I triggered something in them? The only enchanter who quarrels with me is the misogynist old priest. But it seems I have more opposers other than him.
The young priest answers, "It's not needful for you to know. What you should know is you're going to lie down with your sickening ambition to the grave...!" He could not finish his imprudent sentence when I made all of his teeth fall and his whole body unraveled like a broken doll.
"Watch your words, kid. Mages are not exempted from morality."
Irritated by my action, an enchanter casts rumbling thunder at me but I swiftly turn around, and my location switches: behind him. I grab his nape and manipulate his mind, causing him to cast thunder throughout the area except for his back. All his allies took cover behind their enchasts. A sudden slash on my back forfeits my manipulation and—along with the enchanter I victimized—I fall on my knees.
There's a shadow underneath me and I enchant it to attack the moving Lycan statue behind me. However, I'm still stricken! The young priest is standing again after the enchanter with a staff recovered him. This man stood in front of me and patiently explains,
"Eldars are dangerous. Only a few are convinced after the incident in Plandreas because of an Eldar. Werewolves have attained justice while humanity doesn't. The loss and damages left to the residents after that disaster remain unnoticed. Yet the only solution was to erase that memory, no repatching of wounds and no punishment for the guilty.
"This kind of assault against humanity is already a threat to their lives. We will not wait or allow the same incident to happen. The power of an Eldar lures great temptation to wield the power for unrighteous dominion or to harm others unconsciously."
"Is that your reason for assassinating me? You're going to shed blood to pacify your overthinking!?"
"For the convenience of humanity."
"It's better to advance on our own before the supreme court realizes it late!" the other enchanter said.
"And with your attitude? Huh! You don't deserve that rank with such pride!" the young priest hollered—all this kid could do is spill empty words.
At this moment, I felt how isolated it is to be labeled as 'dangerous' when I never had wicked intentions to do so. How could my mate endure this type of cynicism throughout 5 years? Or probably, it's the common selfish nature of carnal minds: to bring down those who are higher than them.
"I see..." I stand up slowly. "To be specific, I see amateurs being intimidated by professionalsss."
I mimic the hiss of a snake until the man standing in front of me realizes that he's holding a snake instead of his staff. The snake bit him on his neck before he panics, and due to his generous explanation, the venom only paralyzes him.
As everyone else initiates the attack, I enchant the floor to divide it into multiple islands and underneath is an illusion of the hell's hole. With every 10 fingers having tiny enchasts, I created multiple sucking dimensions randomly in this tornado of illusion and it pulls them in. They may have the advantage with numbers but I have the advantage with power. This isn't unfair after all.
Watching them hover, my vision blacks out when someone covers my eyes from behind, consequently, I push myself out of that situation with force... but my vision remains dark! No matter how much I blink my eyes, it's no use! Then something hit my face twice, my stomach, nape, and a slash on my arm. I felt the cold ground on my skin. They are serious about the demise!
I quickly reversed the function of my eyes wherein I could see when they were close. It was helpful for a second until the crawling long strands of hair entangled my legs and wrists, and choked me! I follow what comes into my mind immediately; I unleash my claws, cut down the strands, and land. However, the foamy floor dissolves in the water that now floods the floor.
A bullet enchantment fires, and although I’m covered behind my enchast, the impact shoves me down into the water. The Lycan statue stands above and strangles me underwater. By my touch, the statue disappears in a pop like a bubble and then I chase my breath when I come out of the water. The smell greatly burns my nose, the smell that wasn't here a second ago: gas.
I saw a spark in the middle and then the blazing fire crawled as quickly as lightning! They won't give me a break! Instead of continuously defending myself, I accepted the scorch for a short moment, then summoned all of my spellbooks and created a mighty pillar of light together with a ranging gust. The floor is cleared and the ground rumbles. Every word I utter quivers their heads as I speak,
"Killing an Eldar won't make you any better! Do you think you are using your enchantment righteously!? Such power should not be wielded by those with little brains... like you!"
On the spot, I extend one of my spellbooks of creation to confiscate the spells in their books.
"What is she doing!?"
"Blasphemous!"
"Stop her!"
They cast powerful forces of enchantment altogether against me but my spellbook absorbs the hundred percent of it. The longer it takes, the harder it is for me to keep the power stable! But I did not stop until the power was completed. The gust and light vanish and another spell was written in my book. All of them knelt down from numbness while I stand in front of a humanoid smoke.
All of the intelligence in every spell was infused in this thing. What kind of creature have I created? I thought I only created a spell...
This smoke possesses me without causing me pain, moreover, my wounds close, and the strength I feel is something I never felt before. Its smoke is coming out from my skin and it's comfy. Meanwhile, my opposers are powerless before me.
"What now? I thought you came here prepared?" I questioned. But I guess their greatest preparation is this tornado tower. "Just because you've seen a violent Eldar doesn't mean all of them are violent! The justification of your campaign is reliant on stereotyping! I never had any records of violence. What raised me up to this rank was my passion.
"Do you hate my arrogance? Despite my power, have I ever assaulted a man because of demeaning a woman, like the old man!? Do you want justice for humans? Werewolves have already punished those who are guilty! Making humanity forget about the werewolves' existence is healing, not an escape from werewolves.
"Everything was solved 5 years ago! Don't you think you are riding in someone's train driven by vengeance? Because you'd hit the wrong person. If your fear of a specific class is your reason for advancement here, then none of you will make your world any better!" my long explanation.
They were too stunned to speak and had the courage to embarrass themselves as they attempted to use enchantment again, but their power is gone now. They are like frogs in the nest of a snake. One thing remains a problem: this tornado cage did not falter.
The violent gunshots flinch my shoulder, and I find Eleus shooting at me from behind! He never knew how to surrender! "Of course, you would say that as an advocate of your favorite monsters! In fact, you are one of them!" he deemed.
Yet what's mysterious is the bullets floating in front of me. The smoke within me turns the bullets around—pointing at Eleus, then the bullets fire at once! "Don't—!" I formed an enchast in time before the bullets shot him! What is this creature in me doing? Dark smoke spreads throughout the floor which chokes all of them to death. It's trying to kill them! "Stop it," I commanded. I tried shaking it off of me and anything but it's still in me. Out of calm, I raise my hand, and the ground waves, the shock hurls the enchanters, and the impact results in a crack in the illusion.
A few seconds after seeing that crack, intense pain in my side crumpled me! It feels like a rib cracked! This creature is dangerous. Although I feel a connection with it, it's doing me a favor negatively. With the only option I have, I summoned my spellbooks and the glowing enchantment dominated the area, putting us inside a vast cube with one big enchast on the floor as I commenced the spell.
"I shall seal you along with these books. No power less than mine can lift it," I recited. The spell is carved in a round on the floor and my spellbooks, except my very first one, are sealed. "You want my power gone? I'll give you that. I never wanted to be an Eldar anyway. I envy those people with normal lives ever since my boys came into my life."
A blinding flash of light shines as I put my palm on the enchast, sealing my power in this spell. Liberating silence occurs afterward. The place is back to normal.
"Now you've got what you want! I implicated your powers to make it fair on my side."
"What have you done?" Eleus hovered to speak. "You elevate yourself too much! contaminating the minds of aspirants that your words are worth tolerating! The truth is you are only raving about poor behavior."
"I understand if you're in the age of menopausal to overreact like this. It is never my fault that you lack."
"You think you've won? Do you think you can have that fantasy with your family? You took away my pride, so we'll take away yours!"
I suddenly remembered why I came here! "Danteleon...!" Worried for the safety of my son, I forgot that Eleus holds a gun and when he fires at me again, I am terrified that the bullet pierced through his head while the revolver is pointed at me! I almost thought 'twas suicidal until someone speaks behind me,
"I've been waiting outside the cage. This company took you so long?"
"Avi! Why'd you...! Nevermind. You can take back his life."
Eleus thud lifeless on the floor. And then Afvshaganifs's enchast expands to the floor, making the other enchanters frozen in fear.
"Anyone who moves a muscle among you shall die," he warned.
A group of white people arrives but the only one who caught my attention is Danteleon: wounded and unconscious in Cados's arms!
"Dandeline!" Lanasia approaches. "Are you alright!? You're bleeding—!"
"What happened to him!?" I asked Cados.
"We found him in this condition. Hrista probably can explain in detail. She was with this kid."
Hrista is cuffed behind the group and when our eyes meet, I unconsciously charge with my spellbook until Lanasia pacifies.
"Don't. Leave her to me—"
"No! Leave her to me!!" I insisted. "What did you do to him!?"
"Dandeline, don't let me slap the hell out of you again! Your son is dying!! You have to recover before anything else!" my friend confronted me. Hrista has been looking at me in resentment and I can't help but return it.
Cados says, "We can hear the details of the crime later, Moon Priestess."
"Right..." I said calmly. Where were my wise actions?
"Good," Lanasia says, "Honestly, we've got more problems in store for you."
The reality creases as she wipes the air like a curtain and we are teleported inside a giant tree mansion—this is a nearby residence of the forest castle. Although the natural elegance of the moon's radiance is coming down ornate with glowing vines from the tree, the bustling werewolves aren't as bright as this creation. Left and right, the females are nursing countless casualties, and we are among them now.
"We'll do our best to handle the situation while you rest here."
"But what's going on?"
"... Hessuel has gone wild."
"... What...?"
"That's all I can tell you for now." Still holding on to her title, she leads the troop outside together with Hrista while I'm left with Cados.
"Don't do it! It's the pup of the silver wolf!" I heard. Two females are holding back the cure inside a potion bottle from Danteleon. Cados lays him on a mattress but no one is nursing him.
"Whether he's the pup of the predator, you have to heal him!" Cados ordered, yet the females remain reluctant.
Annoyed by their rationale, I snatched the potion and pushed them aside. Pouring this magical potion into the wound heals the patient. Danteleon's cheeks are reddening and his temple is bleeding from a harsh battering, but no signs of claws. Instead of ranting, I plot a good curse for Hrista while curing myself after Danteleon.
"Tell me what's going on," I asked Cados.
"... We all have a hunch that this chaos ignited between Alpha Elibur and the silver wolf. The Alpha burns the whole palace and forest while the silver wolf has been attacking anyone and devouring their flesh. The goddess deals with the problem with the chosen werewolves and we were tasked to search for you.
"It took us longer than expected because of your own situation in Asfara. By chance, we found your son and Hrista there suspiciously hiding in the middle of the chaos. That's all I know. We need you to tame the silver wolf."
"Understood."
"No, I'm not ordering you around or something!"
I kiss Danteleon on his forehead and whisper my enchantment, "No one can harm you until I return." I rose and pleaded to Cados to keep an eye on the werewolves here which he already initiated. And then I found the situation outside according to Cados's report. From here, the light of the burning castle and forest illuminates this dark world. There's a colossal enchast above that sheds rain, however, Elibur's fire remains unquenchable.
Acro spotted me from the sky and she shifted bigger—this pet has a great sense of good timing. She lent me a back ride and took me above the burning forest. I hop out of her and as I land, the fire disappears in a wave but ignites again after a few seconds. The silence when I arrived—despite the presence of Omegas and the leaders—entices curiosity.
In the middle of their defensive formation is Hrista embracing my mate.