Cursed Queen: Battle Against Gods

Divine Being

"Matteo! Come back!" Alwina, the only archmage in our group, called.

Matteo's pack was about to head out to ambush the cart of goods that were supposed to be brought to the capital, but they turned back because of Alwina.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She chanted a spell on the puddle of water and an image appeared. A man and a woman were riding the horses that were pulling the carts. The woman had ears, paws, and a tail like that of a cheetah's. Meanwhile, the man was built like a bear and he had the paws of a bear. They're like the girl who paralyzed me.

Alwina sighed heavily. "Two of the twelve zodiacs are escorting the cart. It's Sheena the Cheetah and Bren the Bear. No matter how strong your pack is, you won't stand a chance against Bren. And he's teaming up with Sheena. These two would be unstoppable."

"But we won't have anything to eat if we don't go!" Matteo exclaimed.

"Oh? Sheena and Bren? Albion, you're coming with us. We'll starve if we don't go."

I stared at The Zodiacs. For some reason, I feel like I have a strong connection to them. I want to see them but I don't want to get in their way. And there's this weird feeling. I want to stop them from going.

They were about to head out but Alwina stood there and created a barrier to prevent them from leaving. She's determined to keep them here and I'm glad that she did because I know that I won't be able to keep them from leaving even if I use my authority.

"Alwina, what are you doing?"

"Step aside. The cart will reach the capital if you don't let us go!"

"Sir Karis, please don't be reckless! We can hunt magical beasts and turn them into edible food. You don't have to go."

Karis chuckled. "I'm not being reckless. I can handle Bren. As for Sheena, Matteo's pack is enough to hold her back."

"Alwina, you know that magical beasts might be poisonous even if you cook them well, right?"

Alwina smirked. "Who do you think you're talking to, Albion? I can do anything."

This doesn't feel right. I looked at the cart again. Why are two of The Zodiacs guarding the cart, like it's way too important? As far as I know, the capital can survive even if one of the towns can't deliver its share. Their leftover goods are enough to feed an entire neighborhood. So why would they care about a single cart? I was also told that the leftovers are just given to the families that has more mouths to feed.

Anyway, Alwina is the renowned archmage, the greatest mage in Plaisiria. As long as she's on our side, we can do something about The Zodiacs. So it's strange that they only sent two of them out, knowing we can put them out of commission. Sheena may be the fastest but if she faces Matteo's pack alone, she won't be able to run. As for Bren, Karis and Albion can stop him. And with Alwina's support, they can completely subdue them. They could have sent Drake or the cat. If they did, they would stand a chance.

"Are they aware that Alwina is on our side?" I asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Why do you ask?" Alwina replied politely.

Huh. They have a trick up their sleeve. The war can't start yet because I might go out of control and swallow the whole dimension up. I don't think both sides would want that. So I'm certain that they are not trying to start it yet.

Or are they trying to lure us out of the forest? Every single member of the faction is important and we would storm into the castle if even one of us gets captured. I'm sure the other side is already aware of that. Oh, I see. I looked at our men who are still trying to break free from Alwina's barrier so they could get the goods. Meanwhile, Alwina was staring at me. I think she's waiting for me to answer.

I approached them while shaking my head. "Men are indeed foolish. They are trying to lure us in and you are willing to take the bait? Calm down."

They finally settled down and stared at me. Oh, that's right. My words are absolute and they will obey them no matter what. I should have told them to calm down in the first place and they wouldn't have caused such a fuss. I just thought that they wouldn't listen if I say something that doesn't make sense.

"So...what are you trying to say?" Karis asked.

"As you can see, two of The Zodiacs are escorting the cart. I'm willing to bet that it's empty and they are only trying to lure us in so that they can capture any of us."

He smirked. "Uh-huh? And you don't think we can win?"

"Keep quiet for a moment, will you? What I'm trying to say is...stay here and don't waste your time on an empty cart."

"It's actually empty," Alwina said after checking.

I smirked at Karis who was frowning. "See?"

"Then, how are we going to survive?"

"Just as I said, we'll hunt magical beasts."

"No way I'll eat something like that."

"You can't be picky!"

Now, this is a real problem. If we can't get our hands on real food, we'll have to make do with magical beasts and pray that we don't get poisoned. But that means we're risking our lives just for some food. Livestock are only raised in towns. There are none of those here in the forest. Even the fishes from around this forest are not edible.

"Flare..." Karis called.

"What?"

"Don't try to carry everything by yourself. We're a group for a reason."

I stared at him. He's probably just concerned but if I am the ruler, it is only right that I try to carry my people's burden. I have decided to accept my fate since I can't do anything about it anyway. All I have to do is go with the flow and hope that it will be alright.

"Can you call out some a deer or two?" I asked. I tried to mess with him because I can't think of anything.

He shook his head, laughing. "Come on. Not my brethren."

I chuckled and sat on the bench. The others were arguing because of the issue with the food. No one wants to eat magical beasts. I can't blame them since it is poisonous to the human body. I believe Alwina because she would never lie. But according to Aranel, people have died after trying to eat the meat from a magical beast.

Ah, how troublesome...

"They never brought the real food to the capital, right?" I asked.

Alwina turned to me. "Yes, Your Majesty. I suspect that it is hidden in the town."

Aranel sat beside me. "All of the towns here in Plaisiria are prosperous. They wouldn't need that one cart of food. That's why we take them for ourselves. The mages reproduce them for as much as they can so they can last."

"Okay. We're going to steal that. But do not take anything else."

"Are we going to go there and threaten them?"

I tried to think of a better plan. It would be too obvious if we try to sneak into the town now. Who knows? They might actually be trying to lure us in.

"Is there a nearby town nearby? We need to be more cautious to make this a success. If not, then magical beasts it is."

"Oh, please no..."

"Marksia town is nearby."

I looked around. "Do we have a stealth team? Like, one group who can keep sneak into towns quietly?"

"Only the fairies and mages can do such a thing."

"I see. Please form a team that can come with me. We'll sneak into Marksia town and take their supply. I'll take command because I'm good with these types of operations."

Alwina immediately followed my command while I went to the training grounds to take my weapons. I stared at the katanas and asked Karis to help me put them on my back.

"I'll come with you."

"Suit yourself. Just make sure that you don't get in my way."

They were ready when I got back. Alwina picked the most agile ones. This way, it will be easy to take the supply without making much fuss.

She showed us a map of the town and where the food is hidden. "I will create a portal for you that will take you there. I have surveyed the area and thankfully, they are only patrolling outside the warehouse. Please don't create a fuss because Sheena can run towards that place at the speed of light. Please be careful."

She created a portal that was just big enough for us to go through. We slowly went in one by one. Karis went first before me and they followed. The warehouse is big so we had to quietly look for the supplies that were supposed to be delivered towards the capital.

I passed the bags to them and they quickly brought them towards the portal. One of the mages there is handing the bags to the people from the other side of the portal. We quickly finished and almost all of us are able to go back to the forest when the warehouse door burst open, revealing a huge cheetah. That's probably Sheena but how did she get here?! We didn't even create a fuss.

She growled a few times at me, ready to attack. I didn't move because she's focused on me and if I moved, she'll notice the others. They finally escaped but Karis and I stayed, watching Sheena carefully.

Sheena wasn't doing anything. She was just standing there while staring at me as she bared her teeth. A few moments later, she collapsed on the ground. I was surprised but I found myself approaching her. She seems fine since her breathing is even.

I turned to Karis. "What happened to her?"

"She broke free from the spell," he answered as he examined her.

I caressed her face and I had the urge to bring her to the camp but I think it would only cause an uproar. She slowly turned back into a human so I looked for a piece of clothing. Luckily, I found one. I covered her body with it because she's probably cold.

While we were trying to find a way to help Sheena, Drake arrived while riding a dragon. He got off and smiled at us. He took my hand and brought it onto his lips. "How have you been, Milady?"

I only smiled and took my hand back. I looked at Sheena and it seems like he understood what I meant. He carried her and rode the dragon.

"Yo!" Karis greeted him.

Drake ignored him and looked at me instead. "It's nice to see you again, Milady. Please take care of yourself," he said.

We quickly entered the portal when they left. They were teary-eyed when I saw them. Suddenly, they ran towards me. My mouth went agape as I watched them cry for me. It made me feel like I'm actually loved. Before, no one would care if I come home after an intense battle but now...I have people who would cry for me.

I was surprised when Karis pulled me in for a hug. He caressed my back, as if he was comforting me. That was when I realized that I was crying. Wow. I was actually able to shed tears. I can't remember the last time I did. Maybe I was still a child. For the first time in years...tears fell from my eyes.

"It's okay..." he whispered.

The fact that I was crying was the only thing I can't understand at this moment. Why...why am I crying? This is so weird.

"Your Majesty! Are you okay?" Aranel asked worriedly.

I pushed Karis away and wiped my tears. I tried to smile at them. "Yes. I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

"But you were crying..." Aranel looked like he was about to cry as well.

"Perhaps I'm just happy. There is nothing to worry about," I answered and gave them a reassuring smile.

They seem like they were still bothered by it but they didn't press further. Karis took me to the tent, probably to talk about what happened earlier.

I was surprised when he suddenly touched my forehead. Oh. He was checking if I'm sick. "Flare, are you okay now?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded. "Don't worry. I'm fine now."

"You don't have to push yourself. Just rest here. I'll stay by your side..." he said softly as he caressed my cheek.

When he did that, I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. It was an annoyingly strange feeling that I don't know what to call. Such feelings are unknown to me, as I have never felt them. It confused me but I realized that there was no point in trying to understand it. That's why I ignored it and paid attention to his actions instead. I thought he would tease me because I cried but I was wrong. He was more worried, his face says it all.

"I told you, I'm fine now. Sure, I was surprised but I'm totally okay now," I answered and looked away. His face was too close and I felt a little awkward because of that. "More importantly, I think we should worry about Sheena. We should ask Drake. But how?"

He scoffed and looked away, refusing to talk about it. This guy. He can really be childish sometimes. I stood up and looked for Cyrus. When I found him, I placed him in my hand and sat beside Karis again.

"How can we talk to Drake through him?" I asked.

"Who knows?"

As if on cue, Drake spoke through Cyrus. "Good evening, Milady. Sheena is fine now, just a little feverish."

"You're with her, right?" I asked.

"Yes. It seems like she broke out of the spell because you were in the vicinity."

Huh? I was in the vicinity? As far as I remember, the towns are really far apart. That's why I didn't worry that they would get to us before we can escape.

"Really? I was kilometers away, though?"

"Uh-huh. But according to Sheena, she felt your presence and her ears were ringing. Not only that, she subconsciously transformed to run towards your direction. It seems like she reacted because of your presence. But it is indeed strange."

I looked at Karis but he wasn't looking, nor was he listening. Seriously, I can't handle him well. I sighed and held his chin to make him face me.

He was surprised but he quickly composed himself. "What is it?"

"How did you break out of the spell?"

"Well, I heard his voice inside my head," he answered.

"You mean Bythos, right?"

He nodded. "It was almost the same as Sheena's. There was a ringing in my ear and I got sick."

"Drake, how about you?"

"The same as Karis."

"Do you think the other members of The Zodiac will be able to break out of the spell if they get exposed to my presence or something of the sort?"

Karis shook his head. "No, I don't think so. It didn't happen to Kath so I doubt that it's the same for the others."

I blinked twice. "Kath? Who is that?"

"The cat, a member of The Zodiacs. She's the one who captured you."

"Actually..." Drake trailed off. "Kath is acting a bit strange. And her eyes are no longer dead. She could have broken free from it but is only trying to act like she hasn't. I'm not sure but that's what I think. I'll try to talk to her."

"Drake, don't bother. You know her. She's not the type who would listen to you. Kath will only listen to the one she serves. That's either Flare, Hildus, or...Bythos."

"Right. What do we do now, Flare?"

I already have three of The Zodiacs on my side. Possibly four, if Kath takes my side. But what good will it do if I'm still weak and unable to stand up to Hildus?

I looked at Karis. "We'll leave tomorrow. Drake, send your dragon here."

"Roger that," he said. "By the way, Sheena wants to talk to you."

"Oh? That's surprising." Karis chuckled.

"Shut up," a woman said. I guess it's Sheena. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my insolence earlier..."

My eyes widened. "Insolence? No, it's fine! I wasn't offended, it's okay..."

She didn't speak after that. And it seems like they were called in. Cyrus also left and went back to his nest. Karis and I are left alone again. The others were preparing dinner so I thought I should help them out.

Karis held my hand to stop me. When I looked at him, he was only looking down. My brows furrowed as I watched him sigh, refusing to let me go. His behavior was weird but I sat beside him and waited.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"No, not at all. It's just that...I realized something. I know nothing about you besides your name. I just know that you're Flare, my goddess, and nothing more than that..."

I c****d my head to the side. "You're perturbed because of something like that? Why? It shouldn't matter, right...?"

He pursed his lips and stared at me with his hooded eyes, as if he was in pain. My mouth went agape and I panicked. Karis is usually just smug or annoying. That's why I don't know what to do now that he looks sullen.

"Did I say something wrong?"

He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Yes, you did. You are my goddess. What kind of servant am I if I don't even know the person I'm serving?"

How would he react if he finds out that I was used as a puppet that only knows how to slaughter as she was told? Will he continue to call me 'his goddess'? Will he teat me with affection like how he's doing right now? I don't think so.

I smiled at him. "You wouldn't want to know."

I stood up and left him there. I don't want to bring the past up. There are too many scars and I don't want to carry them in this world. For now, I just want to keep it a secret.

When I came out, I saw that they just finished preparing dinner. They quickly finished before I could even offer to help. Karis also came out to eat with us after some time. I looked at him, waiting for him to sit with me but he didn't. I pursed my lips and looked down when he sat with Matteo and his pack.

He's already avoiding me. What more if he learns what my past is? I quietly ate and went back to the tent after eating. As I was about to enter, Alwina pulled me towards the center. She created a platform from where we were standing. Everyone else was watching us so it made me feel a little conscious.

"Your Majesty, please tell us about your plans tomorrow. You're heading out, right?"

Oh, right. I nearly forgot about that. I nodded and heaved a heavy sigh. "Uhm, I'm leaving with Karis and Drake's dragon tomorrow morning-"

Speaking of the devil, Drake's dragon just came. They made space for him in the middle and he slowly landed. I think his name was Koryu. He bowed his head a little as if he was paying his respects to me. I smiled and did the same.

"Again, we are leaving for Hylus Mountain tomorrow. I will leave the camp to all of you. Please stay here and wait for our return."

Since we are leaving tomorrow, they didn't want to call it a night. They brought some booze out and started to drink to their heart's content. I didn't want to ruin their fun so I joined in.

I noticed Karis who was staring at me but he immediately tore his eyes off me. This is getting annoying. I continued to drink with them while waiting for my chance to talk to him. He's been flirting with the mages for so long that I decided to just ignore him, too. Matteo's pack suddenly urged me to drink with them so I did.

"Your Majesty, I have a question," he drunkenly said.

"Ask away."

He smirked and leaned in. His face was so close to mine and we're about to kiss, but I didn't back away. "I want you to be my Luna. Would you mind if I try to make you mine?"

I chuckled. "You can try-"

I was surprised when someone pulled me by the waist. I was about to punch whoever it is until I saw Karis who was fuming mad. He pulled me towards the tent. I was annoyed but I quietly followed.

"What now?" I asked when he finally let my hand go.

"You're our leader, our goddess. Flare, you're a divine being! How could you flirt with your servant?!" he snapped.

"A divine being? I should be worshipped, then. But you were ignoring me. Are servants supposed to ignore their goddess?" I mocked.

He sighed heavily and pulled me in for a hug. "I'm sorry. I won't ignore you anymore. Just please...don't flirt with someone else..."