Chapter 333: Malakai & Solaira - III
Sliding her hands to grip his collar, she looked fiercely into his eyes. "Malakai, if I stay, do you promise not to entertain any other woman while you are with me? You see, I have discovered a tendency within myself. I do not like sharing. I am prone to destroying things to smithereens, including that little camp of yours, should I ever spot them around you again or catch you lying about them."
Her eyes blazed golden as she stared at him, and he found himself drawn to their fire once more. "So, what is it going to be?" she asked, reading his every move.
Then, for the first time in his entire existence, a breathtaking smile bloomed across Malakai’s face, stunning her where she stood. He tightened his hold around her and whispered, "I promise, Solaira."
Upon hearing his sincere vow, she finally offered a soft smile of her own. They sealed the promise with another heated, heartfelt kiss, locking the vow within their hearts.
Thus began the story of the divine maiden and her warrior.
Seasons passed quickly, and together, they fought many battles, razing their enemies to the ground while remaining steadily by each other’s side. They were a force to be reckoned with until the day they located the main stronghold of the dark lord, Azrath.
In the first intense battle against his forces, Solaira and Malakai came face to face with Azrath’s powerful generals. Among them were none other than Zafira and her brother, Soren.
They used every means at their disposal to hold their ground against the celestial beings, but they were ultimately pushed back.
Amidst the chaos of battle, Zafira commanded one of the Azrathual toward Solaira’s back, which she believed was left unguarded.
To her shock, something moved with lightning speed toward the colossal snake’s open jaw. With an effortless, powerful strike, it cut the hell serpent in half.
Her eyes remained wide as she witnessed the unbelievable scene until her gaze settled on the man responsible for the strike.
There, beneath the reddened sky, she saw him.
Malakai stood clad in his golden war armour, his shoulder-length raven hair dancing in the wind. His entire body radiated an orange aura so intense that she felt a shiver run down her spine, born of both fear and excitement. His face was so beautiful and breathtaking that she could not stop her heart from racing for him.
That was when her obsession with Malakai began.
At that moment, she decided she would do everything in her power to make that man hers.
Completely.
However, the clash did not last long. The dark forces retreated before any more damage could be inflicted by the celestial beings. They fled to their hideout to recuperate and prepare for the next encounter, which they knew would be deadly, and they intended for their dark lord to join them in the next fight against the powerful celestial beings.
During this time, Zafira practised forbidden sorcery to master morph magic. She became the very first person to wield such power, marking her as the first of the Morphs.
A couple of days later, Malakai was in the stream taking his morning swim when he heard a rustle near the bushes. His eyes snapped toward the sound. There, he saw a woman in tattered clothes, seemingly running from something.
His eyes narrowed at the bloodied wound on her stomach, which she tried to staunch while glancing back in terror.
He felt darkness approaching.
A second later, a Nocthrax emerged from the woods, claws bared and ready to attack the already wounded woman.
Without hesitation, his eyes blazed with fire, and he blasted the creature away before its jaws could reach her.
When the woman lifted her startled gaze towards the source of the flames, her eyes met his molten stare. Her heart faltered as she took in his half-naked form, the lower half of his body still submerged within the stream, and desire pooled within her.
Malakai studied the woman before him, but before he could observe further, she collapsed.
He carried her back to the camp, unaware that her fainting had been nothing more than a carefully crafted pretence. Without delay, he commanded the healer to tend to her wound and left.
By nightfall, once her injuries had been treated, she quietly slipped out of her tent in search of Malakai.
Yet as she drew closer, a firm voice cut through the darkness.
"Where do you think you are going?"
When she turned, she saw a robust human with long brown hair and piercing green eyes. It was Zevran. He narrowed his gaze at the woman his lord had brought into camp.
"I... I just wanted some water," the woman stammered.
Zevran was not convinced. Taking a threatening step closer, he said, "I believe there is water provided in your tent."
"Oh... it is so dark, I must have missed it," she cooked up another lie.
The man continued to scrutinise her with his sharp eyes. "What is your name?"
"I am Nyles, sir," she replied, pretending to be terrified. "I just woke up in an unknown place. I do not know where I am or who brought me here. I was in the woods picking up fruit when I was attacked by that... that monster," she began to cry.
"I was so scared for my life. I thought I was going to die," she sniffed, looking pitiful.
Zevran watched her closely, then let out a sigh. "You are safe now. You were rescued from the woods and are currently under the protection of the divine ones."
"The divine ones? Who are they?" She reached out and grasped Zevran’s hand, continuing her performance. "Please, sir, tell me who they are. I would like to thank the person who saved my life."
Zevran was taken aback by her eagerness. "You will meet them tomorrow. It is very late. Go back to your tent and rest. Your wounds are still healing."
"But..." She wanted to see Malakai immediately. She was not ready to return to that small, cramped tent.
"No buts. I am in charge of security," Zevran replied, pulling his hand away from her. "You had better listen, unless you want to be thrown out of this camp for disregarding orders."
"I... alright. But please, let me meet that person tomorrow." Zafira, disguised as Nyles, pressed the man one last time. He gave a stern nod.
"You will. Now go."
Gritting her teeth, she silently cursed the human for interfering before retreating to her tent.
The following morning, when she was finally granted an audience with Malakai, Solaira was nowhere to be seen.
Dropping to her knees, the woman pleaded, "My lord, I thank you with all my heart for saving my life. I can never forget what you have done for me. Please, allow me to serve you. I would do anything to repay your kindness."
Malakai regarded the kneeling woman with a steady, unreadable gaze. "There is no need. You are free to leave. This place is perilous. Return to where you came from."
"My lord, I have nowhere to return," she replied, her eyes brimming with tears. "My village was raided by the Dark Ones. If you would permit it, please allow me to remain here. I would be honoured to serve you. I swear to devote everything I have. My body and soul belong to you now, my lord. Please..."
Her voice broke as she dissolved into sobs before him.
Zevran was shocked by the woman’s words. He wondered how Lady Solaira would react upon hearing this stranger offer herself so shamelessly to his Lord, while Malakai maintained a neutral expression.
"There is no need for you to do anything of the sort. You may leave." Malakai dismissed her before she could say anything more ridiculous.
As he took a step forward, the woman suddenly reached out and grabbed his foot. "No, my Lord! Please do not dismiss me! I will do anything! I will be your woman... I will serve you well. Please, just give me a chance."
Malakai’s face twisted in displeasure at the woman’s audacity. He was about to yank his foot away when the tent flap opened, and a sweet voice rang out.
"And who do you think you are, to hold him like that?" Even though the voice was beautiful, it was filled with a cold, lethal threat.
Zafira’s body stiffened at the sound. Slowly, she turned, only to be met by a vision of unearthly beauty regarding her with cold, unforgiving eyes.
Solaira moved forward with effortless grace, one measured step at a time, until she came to stand beside Malakai, as though it were her rightful place. Her gaze fell upon Zafira with quiet disdain, as if she were no more than dust beneath her feet.
Solaira’s eyes blazed golden as the weight of her stare shifted from the woman’s face to the hand still gripping Malakai’s foot.
Without a single word being spoken, a cold dread ran down Zafira’s spine. She pulled her hand away from him so quickly it was as if an instinct told her that, if she did not, this woman would not blink before separating the limb from her body.
