Chapter 28: Chapter 28

It was the time when everyone was looking out to have the odds in their favor and bend evens to their will.

Alder was no fool and that was pretty much clear to all but people against him were holding their hopes on his vulnerable position right that moment. At the moment, it was a struggle between moving stealthily and moving like a force to be reckoning with.

In Orla’s acuity, she suggested they shall assume both the approaches to confuse and conquer them. But that which stood like an obstacle was Alder’s strategy.

Alder had been sitting in his study chamber for half a day looking over the span of fields and gardens he had acquired. He looked over the people working on the gardens, pulling out the useless shrubs as they sowed new useful life in their place.

He sighed in distress as he leaned over the large window he was standing by. He had his tactics and he had his means although his senses were not in right places as the moment.

Something felt off!

Something wasn’t right!

He had loyal members in his court that could do anything he ordered for their own benefit. Although they are few of them, they are quite powerful equal to hundreds.

He had worked for over decades to gain mighty allies and get to where he was. He was all geared up to assume the position of an Emperor by being the most powerful person in the whole of four regions. He was all set to rule the human and supernatural realms with the command he had.

It was all going just fine until he started realizing that he had started loosing his magic. He had cleverly stowed his magic in different places and people one could never think off and was enjoying his victory before everything went downward.

His first loss was his wife Orla. Orla was a witch with both power and sense and he felt lucky to have her with him. But when she went missing after giving birth to their daughter, he lost a part of him.

Why she left? He did not know.

He thought she was abducted but then he later realized that she left them out of her own will with no purpose behind.

Her flee was still a great question to him. Something about her escape always felt amiss. It was as though she had a motive greater than having a family.

Taking a seat in his chair, he took a swig of ale groaning at the strong flavor hitting his throat.

“I have to make a move before the little I have is swiped away.” He reminded himself for the tenth time for the day.

Orla would be a great beginning although it seemed like it may take good time. He also needs to find the little phoenix girl he lost years ago. He had everything in his control by having the phoenix tot with him and her blood at his disposal but everything again changed against him when the phoenix was gone. She was stolen from him.

He had slaughtered the whole Phoenix clan and kept the girl with him so he could hold the higher hand.

Damnation!

Now he needed the Phoenix blood to a great extent and yet he had no details of where the tot disappeared to. He and his allies had used all the energy and sources to trace the girl but ended up with null. It was as though she was never there to begin with.

Was she already dead?

If she was, then he had no easy way to rise again.

If she wasn’t dead, then where was she and with whom was she? What is the place that was protecting her from the strongest of the strongest sorcerers and people?

Who was that one person who was relentlessly after him to destroy him?

First it was destroying the people who held his wizardry and then it was his tools to rise high. Who was the person that seemed to know him quite well and hit the spot where he could not recover in a quick pace.

Who was it that spent decades to wait patiently and plan his ruin?

“What is the Queen of crows doing here without aforementioned notice?” Alder asked without looking up from the map of four regions.

He heard the swish of the feathers from his window way followed by the loud cawing of the Queen. “There is something you would be pleased to hear of.” She declared with a cocky tone that made the Old Emor raise a brow at her.

My my my, look at the brash crow lady!

What has she got that she was being smug with him?

“You were using boastful tone on me; it must be good news then.” Alder spoke undeterred by the blatant disrespect. He was furious, but he had to hold it in. She was one of those people who would go to any lengths to get what they wanted. Just like him.

It was one of the traits that he both liked and disliked as well. The trait makes a person foolishly confident but also devious.

The young Queen took a seat before him and smirked proudly at him which irked him further more. “I got the Phoneix girl.”

Alder thought he heard wrong. For few moments his mind went absolutely blank as all the thoughts that were swarming in his mind washed away and there was nothing to think that made sense.

She found the Phoenix girl?

Alder went stiff and leaned forward on the table as he sized her with a calculated look. He was looking closely at her to find any hint of false from her.

Her eyes were confident as she stared back into his with intensity as her pose was relaxed and dominant.

She can see she was telling the truth but he could still not believe her. How was she able to find a girl that went missing for nearly two decades? When her existence was not even in the book of Mortas, then how did the merely Queen of crows find her?

“My, my, Alder Emor, is that mistrust I see on your face?” The Crow cawed with an annoying smug in her tone yet again.

The Queen of the crows was a woman with power but no beauty on her. She was mostly the hideous woman Alder had ever seen in his long years of life. But her influence though was commendable indeed; the reason he chose her to be his ally.

She pulled out a small sachet from her back as she pulled the strings to open it. Pulling out a small bottle, she produced the thick red liquid to the older Lord.

Alder could not believe he was seeing it. He was looking at few drops of Phoenix blood. He could not mistake the red dazzling liquid he was seeing.

It was certainly Phoenix blood.

“How?” He whispered taking the bottle from her.

Impressive. Very impressive!

How in the name of Satan had she gotten her hands on the Phoenix girl?

“Ask what, Milord.” The Crow Queen posed. “Ask me what I desire to give you what you desire.”

Alder was pulled out of his trance when he heard what the woman before him spoke. He nearly lost his cool however he stopped himself from showing her that he was influenced by her.

“You have my word, don’t you? I shall make you the Queen of not just the crows but all the fowl clans.” Alder presented quickly so as to end the negotiation and get the young Phoenix in his hands.

“Nah, give the following uppermost authority after you and I shall gratefully give the girl.” She wished-for giving him the devious smile she could muster.

There was no mistake that she was slightly scared of the old Lord but when the all the odds are with her, and then she could make an even bid.

Alder thought for a while and noticed that her desire was not much to be frank. He could get the girl and shall dispose the Queen in much easy manner.

“You shall get what you want but only after I achieve what I planned for decades.” The Queen nodded her head in agreement before she fell in thoughts of her own.

She knew the Lord too well to fall for his tactics. She was his supporter from quite some time and she knew she could not keep all her trust into the deceiving man.

What shall she do to keep her chances and her superiority with her?

She should do something that compels the older Lord to keep up his pledge. With much thought, the Queen smiled at the Lord with a small smile adorned on her dark face.

“Fair enough. Gather your people and your prey and get everything you ever needed. Only when you have everything under your influence, shall I give you the girl. Until then, I shall keep her safe under my nose.” The Queen declared standing up from the chair and turned into the bird as she flew out of the window by the way she came through without giving the older Lord any time to respond.

Alder was in a fix as the Queen played her piece well putting him in a tight spot.

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