Alessia's POV
I can't speak anymore. I kept quiet and wondered if I was doing it right. Was it right that I made myself believe too much that we would catch up with Elijah? I knew from the start that there was a good chance we wouldn't catch up with them outside of Eleftheria. But I still hoped, hoped that they would catch up.But in this situation, there is a greater chance that they are already inside and we will not be able to catch them outside. My mind is arguing. Fear eats me, but my mind also pushes me that I need to give Elijah the medicine. I don't know if I can do it, Dustan and I, but I will try.Even though I was consumed by fear, if necessary I would let Eleftheria in, just to deliver the medicine to Elijah.I just keep watching what we are going through. With every meter the horse ran, I felt heavier. Sushi is now looking at me and I can see in his eyes that he is worried about me.I just smiled at Sushi and looked back at the road. Hopefully, we can catch up with them even at the mouth of Eleftheria. As much as possible I don't want to enter Eleftheria. But if necessary I will do it.Some time has passed and I feel that it is almost afternoon. I was even more nervous because we were here in a place where immortals don't wander. I don't want to be caught here at night. So hopefully we can catch up with Elijah.But I was just surprised when the horse suddenly whinnied loudly and raised its two front legs so vertically that Dustan and I almost fell."Alas!" Dustan shouted and I quickly held on to Dustan while he tightly held on to the reins of the horse.I felt scared because I might fall. The horse is tall and it's no joke that I'll fall just in case. So I held onto Dustan tightly and I was shocked when Sushi jumped down as if nothing had happened.The horse continued to neigh loudly. Dustan was doing everything to calm the horse down. But because of the mischievous movement of the horse, I was losing my balance and my hand was slipping from Dustan's grip.The horse lost more and more so that I could only gasp when my grip on Dustan completely slipped and I fell from the horse.I felt myself fall to the ground and winced. I didn't even scream because of the shock and I felt like I couldn't stand up."Shake Ales!" Dustan shouted so even though my body hurt, I rolled away from the horse and reached the fine grass that looked like buffalo grass.I groaned and slowly got up even though I felt pain in my back. I know that my back is going to give out, that's for sure but I can feel that there is no fracture there. I hit hard so it hurts.I got up completely and patted myself. My clothes are white and you can immediately see whatever dirt is stuck to them so I'm sure it has dirt from the ground. But I don't care about that anymore.I looked at the horse, which is still disappearing for reasons I don't know. So I looked ahead which I had never seen before.I stopped in my wonder when I saw in the distance, a thick forest, and even though I am just an ordinary person, I know that this is not an ordinary forest.It was dark there because of the thick clouds above up to the mountain of Eleftheria."Dustan, back off!" I yelled at Dustan and even though he was surprised, he made the disappearing horseback. The horse quickly obeyed and they retreated. After taking a few steps back, the horse calmed down again as if no loss had occurred earlier.I frowned even more when I noticed the ground with something drawn on it like white ash. It is a line that seems to separate the two areas.I approached there and knelt. I felt the ground with white ash. I couldn't feel anything strange so I smelled my hand. It smelled like sulfur.I know that grandpa used to use sulfur and put it around our house so that no evil demons would come near the house. That's what he always says. That is true because even good demons cannot enter our homes. They only go outside and avoid grandpa.I looked at the forest ahead. I thought it might be the border of Valencia. Beyond this white line is the Eleftheria range. So the horse loses because it senses danger. But what about Elijah?But it could also happen, it's just not that bad because they are a group and there are many of them. The fear of the horses will be reduced because there are many of them together, while we are only one horse.I looked at the ground and saw the tracks of the horses. They are already inside the forest. My jaw dropped because we would need to enter the forest of Eleftheria."Looks like the dear king has entered the forest," I said to Dustan and I saw him looking at the forest."Ales, I don't have a good hunch about the forest. It's not right that we're going in there, especially since there are only two of us." He told me that he meant that we had returned to Valencia.If I only wanted to follow, I would have returned to Valencia a while ago. But I have to deliver Elijah his medicine. I was the one who presented, I wasn't forced, I was the one who forced. I felt like I had nothing to show Anisto when we came back with nothing done.I was about to speak but suddenly I heard bones crunching so I turned to Sushi who is now gradually changing form and becoming a giant wolf.Its body is smoking. His once gentle face has been replaced by a fierce look. The horse neighed loudly again.Mine own mistress, I shall accompany thee inside in the elefth'ria's forest. Sushi promised me even though he didn't open his mouth. But they might not but wend high-lone. Sendeth yond imm'rtal backeth to the palace.I frowned because I couldn't understand what he was saying. Sushi's tongue is too crooked."Are you saying that he must go back to the palace?" I confirmed with Sushi and he nodded. "And we will go together inside that forest, is that it?" Sushi nodded again."No Ales. You can't enter that forest without me." Dustan protested because he was listening to what I was saying.I looked at Dustan. "But that's what Sushi said. If anyone knows about this forest, it's Sushi."Dustan's face became more troubled. "Ales, I can't let you go in there alone. I promised Anisto that I can't let you make a decision that will harm you." He said and looked at Sushi. "Just because you're with a necromancer doesn't mean you'll be safe. You're about to enter a sea of monsters, Ales."I understand what Dustan is getting at. So I turned my attention back to Sushi."Can't he come with us?" I asked him.It's dangerous to travel inside with only two people. The h'rse already fear'd the landeth. Thee cannot walketh by foot in the f'rest without being hath killed. And I can only carry one person. He answered me and I understood it clearly.Sushi is right. The horse we ride is afraid of the land of Eleftheria. If we insist we will destroy it. It will also be more dangerous if we walk. So one has to be left.I turned my gaze back to Dustan. "No way, Dustan. The horse cannot be followed into the forest of Eleftheria. We cannot walk there, because death will await us. So I will enter, I will ride with Sushi.""Ales, I don't care if your pet can carry you inside Eleftheria. My point is that you are putting your life at risk—""—I don't have a choice. If I can't do what I have to do, even before the arrival of the king of darkness we fear, we might have been destroyed. It's important that I can give the medicine to the dear king. Even in exchange for that, it's my life. " I answered him gravely."Ales..." I could feel his pain because of my decision."Come back, Dustan. I'll take care of myself." I finally promised him.Dustan did not speak. I knew it was against his will and he didn't know what to say.So I didn't hesitate. Sushi landed on the ground and tilted his head to let me ride on his back.I gulped because this would be the first time I would ride a balloon."Ales," Dustan called me but I didn't listen to his complaint.I continued to do what I had to do so I climbed onto Sushi's back with no difficulty. Sushi stood up after I got on his back.I quickly grabbed his neck and was about to hug it when Sushi started running. It is faster than a horse. Just a few seconds later I found myself inside the forest. The surroundings are cold and shady.But I tried to look at what we were passing by even though I was afraid of what I might see. What I see now is a normal forest, the only difference is that it is shady.I don't see anything strange around. There are animals there that look at us as we pass by. Sushi just kept running until he suddenly stopped running.I looked ahead to find out what made him stop. The first thing I saw were large webs on large trees. From what I can tell how big the webs are, a whole person can fit in there.Het'ropoda Maxima."Huh?" I asked suddenly because the word he said was unfamiliar to me.Giant spid'r.Are the Heteropoda Maxima he refers to retaliatory spiders? I was suddenly terrified because I don't like spiders. I'm scared of the small, so it's even scarier if it's a giant.I heard something that seemed like a tight rope and it was moving. My senses became sharp and my eyes became wild and in a corner, I saw spider legs that were bigger than my thighs.I was filled with fear and wanted to run away from there, but it didn't move.Thou shalt not step thy foot on the did grind, mine own mistress. F'r thou art safe on mine own backeth.Even though he said that I was still nervous. Sushi started walking, and all the hair on my body stood up. I also see different sizes of spiders. There are small ones and big ones. Even on the ground, I see small spiders crawling.I became more and more silent. I feel that if I make any noise the spiders will notice me and eat me. With this size of spiders, it's not possible for them to swallow a person.I heard the feet crawling on the ground. There were sounds of branches breaking so I hugged Sushi even more. Sushi's steps gradually speed up until it becomes that pace.I'm very attached to Sushi. My light and long hair are flying. I shined the way even though there was darkness around. But I know it will get darker by dark."Sushi, can you smell them?" I asked Sushi weakly. I don't know if this is the right path we are taking, but somehow I have confidence in Sushi.I can smell those folk, those gents art not yond far from where we art. He answered me.I felt a little joy because we were about to catch up with them."That's good Sushi. We need to reach them before sunset." I said to him and Sushi nodded and I just felt him running faster that I could barely see my surroundings.Alessia's POVI do not know how many minutes Sushi has been running. But I could feel that he was anxious and he sped up his pace as if he was chasing someone and avoiding them.I wanted to ask him if he was worried about something but I didn't. I remained silent and felt. In the minutes that passed, my feeling gradually eased and my fear decreased.Maybe, if Sushi wasn't by my side, the creatures here would have attacked me earlier. Somehow, the forest beast recognizes him as one of them that's why no one is attacking us.It was getting a little darker around and I felt tired. I can feel the pain in my back more but I can still bear it. We have to catch up with them before it gets dark because I don't know how I'll feel, if I'm caught here alone, with only Sushi.I was just surprised when Sushi suddenly jumped on the branches of the tree so I held on to him even more because I was afraid of falling. I looked down, where the road Sushi avoided. You have a lot of blood and arrows. Ther
Alessia's POVI was leaning against a large tree while the sentinels were busy lighting and roasting the animal they had caught. It was easy for them to catch the animal because the immortals did not take it away so the animals were not used to living here. It doesn't run every time we see people like us. They are even curious and moving closer to see us.Elijah was busy making the bed. He makes a bed out of the leaves he gets from the trees. I just looked at them. Sushi is back to being a puppy."Ales." Stefano greeted me with a smile that he was done with what he was doing. He also made a bed for him to sleep on.I didn't bother to make a bed, because I can sleep anywhere as long as I'm sleepy."Good thing the creatures didn't swallow you earlier." I even joked with him even though I know they can handle those things."You'd better not be the one eaten." He joked back to me and sat down not far away.My eyebrows went up. "Who's going to eat me? I'm not interested in monsters." I eve
Alessia's POVI also finished the reduction and I was careful because I might step on the crime I committed. I left there where I reduced even though I couldn't see anything."I-I'm done," I promised even though I don't know where Elijah is standing now."I know." Elijah suddenly promised that he was by my side. I was surprised by that but I wasn't annoyed or pissed off."Let's go," I promised him and he pulled me back to the group.Now I feel relaxed and my stomach doesn't hurt like before. Maybe, this will be my life in the next few days. I shouldn't be ashamed anymore because it doesn't seem like it's any of them.Unlike humans, when they find out that you have diarrhea, they will laugh at you. So it's embarrassing to say that. To them, it's natural and they don't find it funny so it's not embarrassing anymore.I just realized now, that something is only embarrassing if people around you laugh at you. Doing a thing has never been shameful, not until you're surrounded by judgmental
Alessia's POVThe horse that Elijah and I were riding began to move forward after that matter. I am now chewing a fruit they call Soursop. It's Guyabano as far as I know but they laugh at Soursop here. It's not sour like tamarind, it's sweet and juicy to be exact, although sometimes there is a bit of distinctive sourness of the fruit it tastes delicious.I just eat it while looking ahead. Elijah, on the other hand, is careful that he will defend me no matter what. We didn't talk because I was busy eating. But my eyes were busy looking around. The weather is clearer now, it seems that the overcast clouds have disappeared so it is becoming a normal forest, see Eleftheria. The horse was running fast, but because Elijah was holding me, I was still able to eat well. I'm not afraid of falling because I have a lot of trust in him that he won't let me fall.I finished it because it wasn't big but it was enough to fill my stomach. Elijah immediately wiped my sticky hands. If someone sees the t
Alessia's POVI frown every time I remember that Sushi made me suffer and was ignored. I didn't think he knew how to sulk. I didn't remember him because of so many things that happened. I remember my life before.So I let you have Sushi first. If he doesn't sulk anymore, I know that will come to me too.I looked up and saw the seemingly endless volcano of Eleftheria. The winged baboons are gone, and we are now on a steep road. It has no trail and is not part of the road. But no one passes here if I think about it."We will hike from here," Elijah told everyone and I felt Elijah's mouth on my ear. "Sweetheart, they are all watching you clinging to me." He whispered to me. Besides, I remembered the position of the two of us that hasn't changed since we chased the baboons.I am still straddling him, now. I felt embarrassed and I don't know what they were thinking, but I hope it was not bad. I don't think anything bad about our position."Just let me down please." I weakly promised him an
Alessia's POVI was going to ask what made him angry but I didn't do that because I heard Stefano's laughter coming down from the hole."Woooooahhhh!" I saw them coming down. He was holding Sushi who had turned into a puppy now who was still ignoring me.They immediately landed and I saw that they were carrying all the unisus including Elijah's.They immediately got off their horses and I was just quiet and nervous. They approached us and it did not escape my eyes that the newcomers looked at me. I saw the shock in their eyes but it immediately disappeared and it was as if nothing had happened."We will walk from here," Elijah said as he decided to speak. "And I would like to say a reminder, whatever you saw and discovered from here, will remain a secret." He said and I immediately got what he meant. He wanted to hide the fact that they already know that I am a girl."Next, dear king." The sentinels answered."Let's go," Elijah said. "Leave your clothes here, we will get them back lat
Alessia's POVYou know nothing about the beast's body...you can never heal my wounds."I might not be able to, but at least I tried. Only the ocean can heal your wounds." I promised him and he was quiet again. I don't know what the Basilisk was thinking, but I know that what I said made him think.Oceans are sacred water. We filthy beasts have no right to touch the waters.I feel like my heart has been beaten. Why did what he said seem to hurt? They can't? But as far as I know, the sea is inhabited by monsters that I don't know what."Who says that a beast has no right to touch the ocean when the ocean is filled with monsters? I might have no idea about the law of beasts, but I believe, if you need something, you need to obtain it even by breaking the rules. You will only bathe in the sea and nothing else." I promised him and I hope he agrees.How can I trust you?"You can see the sincerity of my heart. And I am with the king of Valeria, the first man who steps foot on this continent.
Alessia's POVThe Basilisk flies the air again. We just took the same route. I closed my eyes every time we met the clouds because it was cold and wet.I saw the beautiful view above the clouds again. I feel like I will never get bored of this place. I knew this was the first and last day I would see this sight.This is not a place to visit. But somehow, all my life I have seen this place. I am satisfied with that and I will keep it in my memory.I saw the end of the volcano in the distance. If you look at it, it just looks like a hill. But this is only the tip and not the whole volcano.The Basilisk immediately entered the hole and almost left my soul in the air due to its plunging flight. I almost stopped when it suddenly waved and landedElijah immediately ran to us. He immediately looked at me to see if anything bad had happened to me."He's healed," Stefano commented that he was now looking at the Basilisk. Their eyes were on the Basilisk's body in amazement."It also works on ma