VOLUME – 7 : Chapter – 9 : THE SHAPE OF NIGHT

“I can’t wait to meet our new friends. This is the first time we have ever gotten so far from our hometown. There is the ocean and the ships. Caige have you ever seen them, before?” Maia the beast-girl, was over excitedly jumping on the cart. Unable to keep her outburst under control, she kept on pestering her travelling companion Caige sitting next to her quietly.

Caige seemed to be deeply pondering over something. But with Maia’s over-exploding energy she was having a hard time doing so.

And also because this place carried bad memories for her which were now overflowing inside her brain. But putting the past behind her, she had found a new life to keep herself busy.

I wanted to all of you know that the side novel Girl from nowhere, first arc is completed now and you can binge read it as always. I am sure you will find it a great story and adventure of Caige rising above all her weaknesses and challenging the people around her.

Link to novel - Girl From Nowhere - Click here

The two were now traveling to the port town of Gilde following Alicia's lead and had decided to meet their to achieve a certain objective.

“What about the list you have made Maia? What would you like to do first?” Caige asked Maia showing interest in her passion.

“Yes I keep on counting but the number always adds up more than the last time I counted them,” Maia said confused putting forward her fingers and recounting them in her mind.

“That just means we will have to try them all out. I can’t wait to get there.” Caige shouts excited trying to wash away all the tension and unneeded thoughts. After all she no longer needed to be watchful all the time.

“Still I have asked the driver and he said it will be midnight before we reach Gilde. Do you think we will meet the Boss and the red-haired elf princess?” Maia wondered.

“Finding them is the top priority. But let’s not waste this night, because things need to be prepared as well.”

“What things?” Maia tilts her head puzzled.

“You will find out when we have reached there,” Caige spoke mischievously as she knew a surprise like this would surely tickle Maia for the entire journey.

Under the veil of a moonless night, the two girls walked through the entrance gate of the port town of Gilde along with other travelers.

While other passengers went to look for lodgings for the night, Caige pulled Maia to the side. They move through the commercial market and enter through a hollow tunnel built over the backside of the canals flowing in the city.

“We need to first prepare for tomorrow and that will require something special.” Caige starts speaking.

“Is this about the special arrangements you were talking about and the conversation you had with the Boss before she left us?”

“Yes miss Alicia wants us to promote magical gadgets she makes.”

“So doesn’t that mean we have to just sell those magical items?” Maia thought of it objectively.

“If only it were that simple. But until then I had no idea that Miss Alicia, is not only so strong but she is also so far-sighted and intelligent to have thought of such big plans beforehand. A port town flourishing with trade would be the best place to commercialize these special items. That’s why I have decided to call her our Boss.” Caige had an ecstatic look on her face.

“I don’t mind, rather she fits the picture with her mysterious mask and beautiful looks. But why do I get the picture that you are enjoying this more than me?” Maia looks suspiciously for an answer.

“Come on you must be imagining it.” Caige stutters in her explanation and asks Maia to rest easy and starts explaining.

“It is simple because this world would have never seen such a magical item before. No magic item-producing industry could rival us with this creation in our hands. The Boss just might be the greatest magical genius of all time and the world will ever see. Look at this.” From the extradimensional space bag that Alicia had given them, Caige takes out a small shining bottle.

At a first glance, the glass was so delicate that it looked like it was made of ice and a blue glowing gem filled the bottle.

Maia took a closer look trying to smell the content with her sharp nose and instantly felt energized by the odor. Most probably it had to do something with the product and just smelling it had such a pronounced effect.

“Is this some kind of medicine?”

“That’s a correct guess. I am really proud of you Maia that you are here to help me.” Caige congratulates Maia on her correct response. “But the sweet part is its superiority against all medicine. Now watch this.”

Out of nowhere Caige produces a hand knife and cuts her palm with its blunt edge and it starts bleeding.

“Careful, Caige what have you done.” Even before Maia could react properly Caige breaks the potion bottle in her other hand by crushing it. Her body faintly glows blue and suddenly the wound heals itself.

While Maia’s mouth was wide open because she had never heard of a healing potion that worked this fast. Even the best ones that high-ranking adventurers use to take quite a while but this was done all in an instant.

“Don’t be too shocked because the biggest surprise is that it can heal every disease, and physical damage no matter how severe.”

“If Boss says so then it must be true.” Maia nods.

“Just think… with this new product we can not only revolutionize the medicinal world but take over the entire market. I can already see the future that the Boss wants us to achieve. And because she has given me the chance to prove myself by taking the first step of introducing it to the world I will set the perfect stage to do so.”

“So, what it is we are going to do? I want to help too.” Maia was now pretty familiar with what Alicia and Caige had planned beforehand.

“We are going to hold an auction and make sure that the product reaches good hands while staying remote from being misused at the same time. So we will have to see the black-market area to remain independent while holding the biddings. Your job will be to track and observe all the bidders and see what they are planning to do and I will make sure that they don’t get the chance.” Caige looked determined to make this opening successful and grand at the same time.

Caige exactly knew well that an all-cure potion will attract both evil and good eyes. And it was her duty with the responsibility given to her by Alicia to make sure to use her genius to avoid any such complications in the future. As usual, she could count on Maia’s good senses.

“I wonder where the Boss and the elf princess are or what they could be doing, I can’t wait to meet them.” Caige expresses her desire, she wanted to know more about her foreign friends.

As Caige was trying to prepare a list of things they will need for tomorrow to organize a decent auction, Maia started acting strangely.

Maia’s tail wags frantically and Doberman’s ears shake.

“Is there something wrong Maia?” Caige asks.

“Something’s not right. This place… no this entire city. I am scared.”

Just when Maia finishes, Caige notices the items kept on the table shake along with the potion glasses. She quickly starts collecting them back in the bag before they could have been damaged.

“It’s here.”

Maia runs out of the room the two were staying at and Caige follows behind her. The ground shakes beneath them making it difficult for Caige to keep balance while running.

“Is this an earthquake?” Caige asks herself, but then her doubts are clear when she looks at the sky where Maia had been already intently watching in awe.

An impossibly large white beam of light as if joining both sky and the underground bleached the entire space. The magic energy being radiated through the presence of it was enough to send shivers through Caige’s bones.

“It's her,” Maia mumbles as if she could feel the magic similar to the magic she saw Alicia use while saving her.

“That makes it easy. We just exactly know where they are now.”

***

A HOTEL ROOM IN GILDE

The girl sighed as she rested her chin in her hands.

Her long blue hair cascaded down her sides, and her most peculiar trait was that she possessed green and a blue-colored eyes since her birth.

“I guess we have now only five days in our hands most...”

She tried murmuring it to herself, but it didn’t feel real at all. Just a month ago she was living happily with her parents. A luxurious life, a great number of people at her service, and each day fulfilling all her required duties she was expected to perform.

As it turned out, the girl was a princess.

Arya Stark. ⸺The first and only princess of the Stark Kingdom of the Human Continent.

At the inn she had been staying at, the room was the best they had with top-notch service and all the comforts she would need. The table was laden with warm food and yet her mind wandered feeling dazed.

She closed her eyes, remembering the events from the past month.

Her parents the King and the Queen were poisoned with an unknown alchemic toxin. Thankfully the princess was not a victim and the toxin didn’t kill the King and the Queen.

As per the assessment of the Royal healers and the ones best in the capital, they were put under an eternal sleep curse. Because of the unknown origin of this toxin, there were no ready antidotes and even after a month, the prospects of finding a new cure were getting bleaker as days passed.

In these troublesome times, the hopes of saving the Queen and King diminished day by day, and unrest took hold of the palace.

People in the castle were getting anxious and the halt of the Palace’s work made it difficult to keep their condition a secret from the world.

If the word of King’s and Queen’s bad health was to get out in public, civil war would be imminent. The neighboring countries would do everything in their power to invade them.

The people around her had started acting suspiciously. The palace was now divided into many secret factions, deliberately telling her exactly what she wanted to hear.

It seemed like they were doing everything they could to avoid answering her questions and concerns, and they were almost certainly withholding important information from her. Even though the princess had several times advised to call upon active measures, there was no collaboration.

It was like there was no real communication going on. These people were taking great care to hide their jealousy and their desire for the crown from princess Arya.

That was how she knew something was wrong. But most probably these people were in conflict because they were aware of Arya’s strong presence as a Royal Family Member, her special magic, and her resourcefulness and ambitions.

And it was not like things got better when she stepped out of the castle… more along the lines that she had to escape the kingdom to get here, the port city of Gilde.

Whether at the palace or in this outside world, there wasn’t a single person she could fully trust.

“⸺All lies…” Arya gave another little half-sigh.

Even outside, she doubted anyone would truly become her ally and be on her side.

The night was falling. Arya could see all the shopkeepers closing their shops from the top balcony of the hotel room.

She probed her memories, but after the dizzying events of the day, she wanted to take a rest and be prepared for tomorrow’s search.

Arya Stark despite being just a young girl had always walked in her father’s footsteps and become one of the most successful merchants in the town. More so enough that her achievements had been recognized by newly appointing her as the treasurer of the Stark Kingdom.

A great honor for the Continent’s leading trading Kingdom.

It would come as no surprise that her resourcefulness and intuitiveness had led her to the origin of this toxin by analyzing the content of the toxin and the material used in it. All of them extrapolated to this port city in the demon continent.

All there was left to do was find the creator, the agent selling this, or preferably a cure. Time was of the essence.

The absence of the princess from the kingdom would bring further turmoil to the palace.

At most, she estimated having five days left before she would have to head back.

“I guess we have no choice but to stake all of it here, right Alfred.” Princess Arya for a moment turns back and sees her butler, Alfred.

One of the most loyal servants of her family who had accompanied her on this dangerous journey and is taking care of her now.

Arya could not bring guards or any powerful men with her to move around unnoticeably.

“Yes, Princess. I will give my best. But is it alright for the princess to leave the Kingdom?” The butler raised a common concern, not that he meant to be rude but had been wondering this for a while.

“You are right in thinking and advising me on that. It is irresponsible of me to do so. But to save Mother and Father I am ready to bear any consequences. I am not just going to sit down as others expect me to and take no action while my family dies. I will never let that happen. Do you doubt my intentions now?”

“I have always admired and looked after you dear Princess ever since you were born. There is no doubt that you are the only one who is capable of saving the King and the Queen. May the Five Goddesses of Fortunes be with you in this brave endeavor and you will have my utmost devotion on this that I promise you.” Alfred was born and raised in the Stark Kingdom and just like his forefathers had served the Royal Family he intended to keep this promise eternal.

Being a sensitive and careful man himself he knew how the young Princess really felt and did his best that the fear of losing someone does not cloud her judgment.

“Princess the food will get cold, you must eat for tomorrow’s search,” Alfred said convincingly.

Arya from the very first moment she reached the Demon Continent, something inside her felt off. Frustration grated in her chest, striking a dissonant chord.

She had no idea what might lie ahead.

She was not expecting any dramatic encounter, but a fateful miracle was not something she never wished for.

… And so it happened.

Curiosity seemed to guide her further toward the balcony reaching the ledge.

At that moment, something extraordinary happened. It felt as if time had stopped. Something that was impossible or could have been only done by the will of the mighty Divine Gods.

As soon as Arya laid her eyes on the pitch-black sky, she could see the colors appear even before it actually started.

“Princess, what is it?” Alfred asked concerned seeing his Master’s changed attitude.

“Such beautiful colors….” Princess Arya gasps, staring at the empty sky, or at least that’s how it appeared to the common people.

Her eyes locked on to the sky, and she stood frozen for a moment on the balcony rail.

And then even Alfred was able to notice what the Princess was capable of seeing beforehand.

At a first glance, it looked like a ring of light that encircles the world. An impossible aggregation of hundreds of millions of beams of light, clustered together forming a single band of white light.

And when this giant beam of light touched the sky, it sent the ground rumbling. The sky appeared to move and twist and everything the light touched became white for that fraction of a second. And the next moment everything reverted back to how it was.

No one could tell what truly was occurring that led to this strange phenomenon in the middle of the night, but whoever saw it could not deny its majestic authority and power.

“⸺What’s happening?” Alfred was out of line from his calm demeanor. Too shocked that he repeated exactly what he thought.

On the other hand, the princess turns around with a smiling face. Her defiant gaze and exuding a much more confident aura were enough to tell that something had changed in her at that moment.

”Join me for the supper Alfred? Tomorrow is going to be a long day of hard work. I highly doubt we are going to find any rest.”

“Don’t trouble yourself, my lady. This old man’s body will do its best to keep up with you.”

And for one final time, Arya looks at the sky this time with hopeful eyes.

“I am surely going to find it.”

***

A simple reminder you can now completely read the side novel Girl from Nowhere, first arc is completed now and you can binge read it as always. I am sure you will find it a great story and adventure of Caige rising above all her weaknesses and challenging the people around her.

Link to novel - Girl From Nowhere - Click here