Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1569 - 11 : A Piece of Home

*Briella*

There was no reason to wait to leave for Celestial City. The matter with the crops hadn’t improved at all. The strange disease only seemed to spread over the past couple of days. Reports had been coming in describing how dead animals were found littering a nearby field, uncomfortably close to the valley.

The next morning, as the sun was beginning to rise, me, Kryzen, Roy, and Kai made our way to the temple, seeking guidance from the elders before we left for Celestial City.

The elders prepared us as best as they could, leading us into the main sanctuary and encouraging us to bathe in the mystical pool, saying that the magic from it would help to protect us from dark magic.

“You and Roy can bathe first,” I said to Kryzen, turning to head out of the room.

One of the elders chuckled. “There is no need to do this separately,” he said.

I laughed nervously. “I think there is,” I said. “I would prefer to bathe separately from those two guys.” I emphasized the last two words.

Understanding dawned. “You will be fully clothed for the ritual,” he said to me, handing me some light clothes to put on for the pool. “Since the three of you will be traveling together, it is vital that we do this at the same time to increase the desired effects.”

I could feel the blood in my face burning, but I nodded and took the clothes, leaving the room to change in one of the smaller side rooms. When I came back out just minutes later, Kryzen and Roy were already in the loose-fitting pants and shirt, looking intense as I took my place next to them.

“You must allow the energy to flow through you,” one of the elders said, gesturing to the pool. “As you step in, try to empty your mind.”

I was never good at that, but I nodded anyway.

I tried not to look at either guy as we stepped into the water, but I caught a strip of skin appearing as Kryzen’s shirt lifted as he stepped further into the pool.

I shook my head hard and shut my eyes as I stepped into the pool, letting the water come up to my waist.

This was my first time stepping into the mystical pool. As far as I knew, it was only ever used for extremely serious cases like when the healers attempted to revive someone close to death. One of the women in the valley was on the brink of death after a violent childbirth. She almost didn’t make it. They lowered her into the water, reviving her.

I sucked in a breath as a sudden rush of warmth came over me. It didn’t feel like I was surrounded by water at all. As the warmth completely consumed me, it felt as if I was leaving my body. I could no longer feel my limbs, but I wasn’t afraid. There was a floating sense of peace that consumed me as well.

When I opened my eyes after only the goddess knew how long after, I found myself out of the pool, standing between Kryzen and Roy. I was in a light robe now but beneath it were the light clothes I had been given, heavy with the mystical water.

“The energy could react differently when you are in the Light Realm,” one of the elders explained when he had our attention. He looked at us with a serious look on his face. “This has not been tested, so we have no way of knowing if the effects will remain when you pass through the portal.”

“We are grateful for your preparations even so,” I assured him, shivering slightly. My hair was still damp from the pool. I took a deep breath, realizing that I felt lighter and as if something warm and light was flowing through my veins.

“Be vigilant,” said one of the female elders, her hazel eyes slightly blurry with age but extremely focused as she gazed at us. “There is not much more we can do for you. We will continue the fortune rituals to aid you from here.”

“Thank you,” Kryzen said.

We left the sanctuary, finding Kai waiting just outside the door. “I should be going with you,” he said fiercely. “I want to. Father trusted me to protect you. Maybe I will go with you. There are plenty of healers here.” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I waited for him to finish before smiling gently at him. I was the one who had trained in combat for years. I think our father more likely expected me to protect Kai, but I wasn’t going to admit to that. “You know as well as I do that you are needed here,” I told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You are the top healer, even if you don’t believe that.”

A hint of pink dusted my brother’s cheeks. He was the kindest of us all and likely the most humble. Maybe it came with being in the healing field. Healers like him were so used to focusing on everyone else except for themselves.

It was up to their loved ones to ensure they took care of themselves.

“It just doesn’t feel right staying behind when you are heading off to a city that is possibly riddled with dark magic,” he said.

I gave his shoulder a squeeze that I hoped felt reassuring. “You are not sending me, and I’m not going to be alone,” I told him soothingly. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

Kai managed to smirk slightly at that. “You better,” he warned me, raising a stern eyebrow, but the threat fell completely flat. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me, rubbing his knuckles against the side of my head briefly.

“I’ll be back,” I repeated with a laugh as I swatted his hand away playfully.

He chuckled lightly, but then his expression turned serious once again. “Be careful,” he ordered, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me square in the eye.

I looked at my younger brother for a moment, again marveling at how mature he was. He was so important to the valley now. He wasn’t just a healer. He was vital to preserving everything that the beloved community stood for.

I couldn’t have been more proud.

I grinned. “Always,” I said. I would be as careful as I could. Thankfully, he didn’t ask me to promise to not get hurt.

He dropped his arms as he looked over my head at someone approaching. Mathias stepped up to stand beside my brother.

“You know you don’t have to do this, Briella,” he said. His voice was full of fatherly concern and worry.

He hadn’t asked me a question, but I answered as if he had. “I do, actually,” I said as gently but as firmly as I could.

As I straightened with conviction, a couple of faces came into my mind. I pictured my parents and the immense pride on their faces as Kai and I said goodbye to them before coming to Embervale. That had only been a year ago, but it felt like much longer in a lot of ways.

I wasn’t certain how she looked, but I tried to picture my grandmother’s face. My maternal grandmother was beautiful. Although she had only been described to me, I felt like I could imagine what she looked like with her wavy golden hair and soft, kind face. My mother, Luna Zara, supposedly resembled her to some extent.

I was going for my parents and my grandmother but also for myself. I needed to do this. If I had to go alone I would, but I was grateful that Kryzen and Roy were coming with me. Although, I would never openly admit that, especially not to Kryzen.

Mathias nodded, clearly not at all surprised by my response. To emphasize the fact that he predicted this outcome, he stepped forward and held something out to me. “If you truly feel you must, then at least take a piece of your home with you.”

I held my hands out and gripped the hilt of the dagger that Mathias handed me. It was small, but I could tell it had been sharpened to a deadly point. I winced slightly at the thought of such a weapon slicing through flesh.

The smooth blade was the color of the night sky. The hilt was equally as beautiful with its midnight black shine and tiny gemstones embedded into it the color of moonlight.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, completely awestruck by the weapon. It was lightweight, but I felt a strange sensation as I held it. It was almost as if it was made for me alone.

“It is infused with Embervalian magic,” Mathias explained to me. “As you’ve probably learned by now, the energy within this realm is unique in that it is pure and harmonious. Many compare it to music since it is emotionally driven and complicated, often composed of many steps and chants. It belonged to your grandmother.”

Kai and I gazed down at the slim dagger wide-eyed. That explained why I felt as if it had been made for me. It belonged to our grandmother.

Mathias smiled at us, his expression wistful. “Its magic is mysterious, seeming dormant. We had it on display in our museum. On the day the two of you arrived, it began to glow. It was as if it sensed that your grandmother, through you both, had come home.”

I gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, feeling powerful and more determined than ever. “I’m going to do everything I can to protect the valley,” I said with as much conviction as I had.

He nodded seriously, clasping me on the shoulder the way Kai had. “If anything happens, you have family here, and not just in your brother. You are a member of this valley, of this community.”

I felt tears prick my eyes, but I willed them away, needing now more than ever to be strong. “I won’t let you down,” I promised.

A couple of hours later, Kryzen, Roy, and I were standing before a glowing portal, staring into its swirling depths of light.

Kai hugged me fiercely again. “I’m holding you to that promise,” he said.

I nodded before smirking. “You better take care of the valley while I’m gone,” I warned him, half joking, half serious.

Kai nodded. “With all that I am,” he said, not a trace of joking in his tone.

Mathias gestured to the portal. “We are unable to put you in the middle of the city. That would only upset the elders. Due to the current state of the city, we figured it would make more sense to put you just outside the borders.”

Kryzen, Roy, and I looked at one another, our faces serious and a little bit nervous as we stepped into the light.