Chapter 53

Myan tried to gather what could be happening mentally but the scratches that bore her skin as the force pulled her feet down their mountain made her yelp in pain.

Ash was nowhere to be seen so she knew that this was something she would have to figure out by herself.

She tried to crane her head to look over her shoulder but there was nothing holding her. She couldn't see it, but she could feel its touch.

She was lucky to find a twig buried a few inches into the ground. Grasping onto it, she held tight, grunting as she tried to set herself free from whatever that was.

It was only a matter of time before an even greater force was exerted and she was yanked forward, taking the twig with her, her scream fading with the wind…

***

Ash woke up the next morning feeling tired. It was as though he had not just woken from a long sleep but had instead stayed awake the entire night.

"Myan?" He called with a lazy groan, stretching and getting out of bed, setting the bedsheets right.

He thought she had woken up earlier than he had. His day was free so there was time to spend with her. If he could, he would go through a few kingdoms later in the day just to see how things were going.

He took a deep sniff, trying to catch Myan's scent anywhere in the house. It seemed faded and distant. With his hands behind his back, he furrowed his eyebrows and followed the trail.

"Myan?" He groaned.

He went to Maria's room where the scent was the strongest and when he found it empty, his instincts warned him Maria could have abducted Myan, and maybe Myan was right after all when she said she suspected that Maria had other motives.

He clenched his fists and was about to roar in anger when he noticed the trail that led from the bedroom out the mountain.

He sniffed the trail and continued after it.

He stopped halfway down the mountain when he saw Maria sprawled across on the floor.

"What are you doing here? Where is my wife?" He was going angry, and that was not a good thing for him. Powers he had no idea of usually came unlocked during these times and there was no thing what he could do to anyone.

"I…I don't know." Maria swallowed, fear grasping her as she saw how red his eyes had gone. His fist was already on fire, and she was his target.

"I said, where is she?" His last word trailed into a hideous yell as he tossed his fire in her direction. With a shriek, she was lucky to dodge it.

She wanted to burst into tears when she widened her eyes in surprise. Her eyebrows were raised, her eyes had gone completely white, and her mouth was wide open in surprise.

"What's wrong with you?" Ash wondered, calming down at the new development.

"Ash!" Maria gasped, "I remember something." She sounded scared and that didn't please him.

She restored to her usual form and shivered, "I'm not Maria, I'm Tonsil. They did this to me, they…they didn't want me to come here to warn you. Oh no, I've failed." She turned her back to him, swallowing in fear. "They knew I would arrive early, that's why they did this to me!" She looked over her shoulder at him, "we have to go, we have to go now!"

"Why? Where are we going?" Ash frowned. Nothing she had said so far made any sense to him.

"It is the fulfillment of the prophecy." Tonsil said, racing down the mountain while he trailed after. "One who is born of fire and water, she will be the sacrifice for the Bingsols, they can take their dominance on land, and no longer have to live in hiding."

"Hold up, what?!" Ash frowned, how had he not heard of this? There was nothing the lords didn't know."

"It sounds like clownery, but it is true." Tonsil sighed, already running out of breath. "You can't change destiny, but you can mold it your way…I'm a Tonner, we are creatures that work to avoid evil prophesies. We knew Myan would get her fire powers soon and wanted to get her out of sight before they got to her. They must have known and sent their people to take my memory temporarily." Tonsil seemed so disappointed in herself and rightfully so.

"A Tonner? How do you have a human form?" Ash wondered.

"Of all my words, that's the only thing that could spike your curiosity?" She shook her head at him.

Tonners were naturally blue with blood red hair and lips, long ears that went down vertically and sharp claws instead of fingernails, they had no male genders and other than that, had similar human features. They were water creatures.

"Does this mean the Bingsols are water creatures as well? Why would they want Myan? What do you mean fire powers? She only has waterpowers." Ash didn't know what way he could process the information. One night, he was sleeping peacefully with his wife, the next, a whole new story he had never heard.

This was tiring for him, even as lord. Everyday was a new door to a problem.

"They are, and she will get it. Have you never wondered why she was not born with fire? Destiny wanted her to live a normal life for her first nineteen years, but now, the power of destruction her body can't contain is on its way, she lacks the strength for that much power, and we would take care of it if the Bingsols had not interfered."

"How could they have sent someone so incompetent?" Ash frowned, lifting her on his back as he transferred into an Aeu to speed up their journey.

"Incompetent is the last thing you can call me." Tonsil gasped, offended and hurt.

"Where are we going?" Ash ignored her words.

"Vi stream,” she simply said and that was exactly where he led them.

***

Kassy was taking a simple stroll out of the palace, just to stretch her legs. Her life had never been so boring. She had a new personal servant, and she was disgusted. There was nothing to do except the same old daily routine. She missed her life before Ash selfishly interrupted.

"How much for these flowers?" She asked the seller that was dressed in a simple, plain gown. Her thin arms hurried to dust the flower racks.

"Which specific ones?" She flashed a smile in response.

"These bright yellow ones." Kassy sighed.

"I'll ask my husband. He knows their value." She nodded. "Achu?"

The call of his name caused Kassy's eyes to widen. That name was specific to people from the water tribe. Her shock proliferated when it was the same Achu that stepped forward to respond to this shabby looking woman.

"What is it my dear?" He asked her before locking Kassy's gaze. He was equally taken aback, but he wasn't moved.

"Husband? Achu, how could you do this to me?' She cried.

"Do what to you?" He gasped, "you left me by myself in the middle of nowhere. I was dying and an angel came to my rescue, I got married and you dare to ask how I could do this to you?" He wondered, disgusted by her self-obsession.

"Achu, it was circumstances!" Kassy had no idea why she was wailing, bringing attention to herself. She didn't think she would be feeling this heart broken. Seeing his face was a reminder that she had something for this man and knowing he would forever be someone else's made her lose her mind. "How can you end up with this piece of stick, giving all of these up?!" She cupped her voluminous breasts in reference.

"How dare you?" Achu asked through gritted teeth, clenching his fists by his sides, his veins clouding his skin. "This is a woman of water and maybe fate got us stuck in this world but…" he trailed off.

They had just come to the realization that they were of water and fire. How had they forgotten? They wondered.

"Water world?" Kassy gasped, her memory restoring.

"Yes, and we aren't having children of abomination is all that matters. Please leave before I raise my voice." Achu groaned. He was confused by how he had lost his memory of water and fire worlds, but he wanted her out of her presence more than anything.

"Achu…" Kassy sniffed.

He wasted no time, pulling his wife out of their stall, leaving Kassy with their flowers.

***

Ash restored to his human form once they landed at Vi stream.

"This is it?" He sighed, "I can't breathe underwater,” he groaned.

"How do you think I changed into human?" Tonsil went on one knee with a smirk. She plucked a few dandelions growing by the stream and took a bite. She instantly transformed into a blue creature, and she was as beautiful as an angel. Her wide hips were defined in her leaf dress that stopped mid thighs. She held the dandelions out to him.

He took it cautiously and took a bite. In a second, he was like any other Tonner, blue skinned and ready to dive underwater.

"Ready?" Tonsil raised a brow.

Ash took a deep breath and dived into the stream with her. As soon as they sank deeper, the stream seemed to be more than just a stream, it was taking the width of an ocean.

What more could he unlock?