Chapter 50:- Irresistible deal

Disclaimer:- all the characters form the game belong to moonton and this is not a commercial story but just the work of a diehard fan.

Claimer:- the other characters which are not in game of mentioned are mine

Alice was in her personal tent, sitting before a warm fire while she herself was contemplating what had happened in the past few hours. Their path has crossed once more and it was only in a matter of time before she would meet Saya in a huge conflict and this thought made Alice's stomach churn.

Her report had caused a lot of chaos within the ranks as some were now having second thoughts about their campaign while most were very eager to get their hands on the Slayer of Thamuz. Now, not even her position could save Saya form the Abyssal horde and this fact made Alice curse in frustration.

"Why do you always have to get in the way…" She mumbles in distress.

The Demon queen was so caught up in her own turmoil that she nearly missed the soldier who had been addressing her for the past few minutes.

"My Queen?" he says a bit louder than he normally would, finally breaking Alice's train of thoughts and causing her to look at him in annoyance, "WHAT?"

Her outburst startled the soldier but he kept his control and declared, "The Troops are mobilizing and elders are asking your presence."

His words stunned Alice for a while who stood gaping before finally coming to her senses, "Mobilizing? What for?" she asked in utter shock.

"The siege of Moniya of course. Lady Selena gave the order and would lead the attack herself…"

The Soldier didn't get to speak any further because Alice immediately bolted out of the tent and towards the main war camp.

Barging inside the still in-session Council meeting, Alice speaks or rather roars, "What is the meaning of this?"

The Elders of the council stayed motionless and astonished for a good while because of the sudden intrusion. Selena had been the first one to break out of her shock and answered brightly, "Dear Alice, How nice of you to join us in such an important event!"

Her lax demeanour further enraging Alice, the Blood Demon Queen explodes, "Enough of the nonsense, Why is the army mobilizing?"

"I think the messenger had already made it clear of the purpose at hand, Queen of Apocalypse. We march for the capital at once." Answered an elder at Alice's question.

Knowing that Saya would surely have reached the capital by now, Alice couldn't help to try to stray them away or at least buy her some time, "But we still have yet to gain full control over all the regions of the kingdom, attacking now and failing would mean we could lose all that we work for."

Sadly, only the general was the one who was willing to put her thought into consideration because all the rest were hell bent on going to war. "Wasting any more time would mean giving the elves time to prepare. Plus Lady Selena would be with us this time and we are sure that even the Xeno cannot overpower the Chosen of the Abyss!"

This was a fact that Alice was too scared to admit and frankly, she dreaded the prospect of Saya facing off against Selena. True that Selena was not the Nightstalker, but the Abyssal witch was no push over either. She was titled the Chosen of the Abyss of a reason.

"Please, gentlemen, let's not push Alice too far, she just had a near death encounter and needs a much desired rest." The young night-elf speaks cheerfully and the council stopped nagging Alice. With the work to be done at hand, the elders slowly left the tent to prepare for war, leaving only Selena and Alice alone at the tent.

Humming to herself, Selena moved towards the entrance of the tent while Alice stood speechless and motionless in her place. Once reaching her, the Abyssal Witch speaks maliciously, "Let's see how you protect your precious Xeno now." With that, she left, leaving Alice with a pale face.

Selena's words echoed inside her head a hundred times and it rang alarms within her, causing her to shudder at what the cruel girl had in mind for Saya.

"I must get to her…" Alice mumbles to herself and slowly exited the camp, "I must get to her before she does…" with that Alice took off to the air.

-X-

The first thing own would notice first and foremost about Moniya was its marvellous splendour, situated at the edge of a majestic waterfall, the entire city was built over several platforms that housed the numerous buildings that made up the city that hanged over the seemingly endless chasm, making it a very difficult place to invade.

The Buildings were made of ivory and gold that shone beautifully under the setting sun as the mist of the waterfall enveloped the city in a thin veil, giving it a magical feel.

Seeing how the city was constructed, the best possible comparison Saya could make was with those overly sophisticated and mechanized cities made by the Vorkens which too would be layered like this elven city. However the key difference she noticed was how the Elven city, although compacted, looked healthy, natural and organised, a far cry from the disorganized, rusty and smoky industrialized heaps of metal that the Vorkens called home.

However, the heavenly appearance of the city didn't mask the grim atmosphere that loomed over it. One of the main reasons would be the fact that the streets of the city was filled with countless elves, wounded, dirty and in pain, it sucked out the liveliness of the city, leaving nothing but a dark and miserable aura.

The Captain of the Guard, who they soon learned to be Irithel, had granted them access to the city and escorted them in as well. Upon seeing the questioning looks of the new comers, she explained, "Your town of The Moon Temple was not the only ones to be attacked. Over the past week, most of the settlements have been sacked and the outer region of Moniya is lost to us." She says grimly, making Miya and Nana gasp while Saya lowered her head solemnly; it was just like what Karina had said.

"If the King knows about this, then why doesn't he send out troops to reclaim the conquered cities?" Miya asked.

However the answer she got was not something anyone had expected. Irithel simply stated, "It's the King's orders. We wait and defend the capital until further orders."

To say this was an absurd idea would be an understatement. Saya knew how wars worked and for a king to just coop up within his castle walls, especially when the enemies is systematically taking out important parts of the kingdom and isolating it, was like giving a blaring invitation to get slaughtered.

Others felt the same too but none rose up to question their king. At least the refugees from the Temple of Moon were given warm food and a shelter to rest so the city was not completely useless. Some loud coughing caught Saya's attention, causing her to break her train of thoughts and look at the source of that sound. What she saw made her heart heavy.

Not only the People of Moon Temple, but several others where there as well. All grieving and mourning their losses and in constant pain, both physically and mentally. In fact, there were more than what the city healers could possibly keep up with.

Seeing such a sight, Saya knew that she would not be able to sit idly by. Therefore, she immediately stood up and brought up her medical supplies. She has works to do.

-X-

Hanabi had never felt such a strong desire to help someone else after seeing the state the elves were in right now. Far from home that was taken from them, struggling with their injuries while still drowning in sorrow of loss, her heart wanted to reach out for them. That was the reason why when Saya, characteristically when ahead to help these people in need, she too stepped forward to help them even if her knowledge in the healing arts was quite lacking.

Saya had been the most thrilled when Hanabi had offered to help as well. True that she might have been her student, Saya had not opted to train Hanabi to be a good healer, something that was unorthodox, seeing that one of the core beliefs of the Hrontre'haare is, 'To inflict wounds as good as they could heal them.'

Her teacher had dismissed that it as it would taken too much time and had jumped straight to the combat process, even if Saya didn't actually liked it, but to see Hanabi genuinely interested in learning about it made her heart swell in joy.

The Elves were the most shocked when Saya and Hanabi came over with several jars of ointment and bandages and started patching up the people who didn't had the luxury to be looked after by the city physician, who themselves where very busy with their own handful of patients.

At first, they were a bit sceptical about them, but as they kept working to ease the pain and suffering of the people, The Elves came to trust them. Saya's simple but easily learnable techniques came in handy to Hanabi as she worked along with Saya, who would give her instructions now and then how to handle each and every type of ailments one by one.

Her descriptions were vivid and remember able, telling Hanabi the importance of each and every part of the body, how it affected the overall function of the person. How to use that knowledge to help the person and when the situation comes, how to use the said knowledge as an advantage in a battle.

As they worked tirelessly to help the wounded citizens, Saya had been keeping a keen eyes around her ever since. It was no surprise that the elves eventually found out about who she was, considering how far reaching her fame had grown.

This caused the general public to be more grateful of her and her student for their generous help. So naturally, it was no surprise when during the evening; a small contingency of guards came over to them while they were working and declared, "Would, Lady Saya Mahira please come with us? King Estes asks for your presence."

The request was a bit sudden but considering Saya's reputation, it was understandable that the King would finally want to speak with The Slayer of Lava lord, however, she was still to discover the true nature of the invitation so Saya still had a tiny bit of suspension.

She asked Hanabi to keep helping in her stead while she went along with the guards to see what the King had in store for her.

-X-

The Great Castle of Moniya was as majestic as the city itself and Saya couldn't help but awe at its grandeur. The design was sleek and elegant, the likes Saya had never seen before and it fascinated her. She even wonders how her kind would have interacted with these elves, how the exchange of cultures would have influenced both of them. Alas, she would never be able to find out.

Guards led her inside the castle and directly into the throne room. There sitting upon the grand throne was the King. He had silver hair and glowing eyes, and his wardrobe was an exquisite rode of blue and gold. His face was tranquil and his eyes shined with wisdom, while his lips held a serene smile.

"Slayer of the Lava lord, how intriguing that fate would make it so that our paths cross is such trying times." He says in a calm voice.

"Let's just say that fate loves playing tricks on me, Great King." Saya speaks back with a respectful bow. Estes stood up from his throne and walked towards her as Saya stood still. The Elf king looked upon her with judgemental eyes, analyzing her entirety as if she was a race horse that he would be betting on, something that Saya found to be really annoying and unsettling.

"You are taller than I had imagined."

Saya rolled her eyes at this, but still kept her respectful tone, "Any particular reason why have you called me here, King?"

Estes swiftly apologised for his intrusive behaviour and says, "Pardon me. If it isn't a bother, please do hear about what I have to say to you."

His request made her curious, thus Saya agreed. The two left the throne room and walked through the castle ground as Estes explained.

"As you can see, the situation of my kingdom is dire…." Estes speaks but Saya added as well, much to the king's surprise, "I noticed. And I also noticed how your plan is holding." The Sai'ore says lowly, making Estes' eyes widen in shock.

"The City has more than enough forces to spare. They could have been utilized to launch a counter attack against the Abyssal forces, but instead of that, you are just gathering forces and waiting. Tell me King, What exactly do you plan?"

Saya's piercing gaze made Estes gulp nervously. It was clear that Saya was upset about his seemingly careless decision, but still he stood his ground, "How we handle our internal matters is entirely up to us, Miss Saya. You would not understand, but we cannot afford to lose this city. Not at any cost."

The answer he provided didn't set well with Saya. To think that a ruler of a kingdom would do something such as this was utterly disgusting, holding on to a place of power while the citizens suffered. It angered her. True Saya had been a stern ruler in her time, but she had always kept the needs of her people as top priority. They were her children, and she was their mother. Her duty was to provide and protect, and seeing how Estes was failing to protect sickened her.

Here she understood that the capital could no longer provide the safety that she had hoped it would provide, so she planned that she would gather her flock, and leave at dawn. A war was coming and it was clear to her that the capital would not be able to hold their own, not when their leader was as such.

Seeing no more reasons to stick further, Saya was ready to excuse herself and leave, but Estes pleaded, "Wait, I have a proposition for you, Help me defend my kingdom!"

Saya stopped at this and looked at him with an unreadable expression, "Your reputation tells a lot about you and having you on our side would greatly boost the moral and our surviving chances. Please, help us and you will be rewarded."

Upon hearing his words, Saya couldn't help but burst out laughing, making Estes really confused.

After a good while, the ancient Sai'ore controlled herself and asked, "Oh Great King, do you take me for a mercenary? Tell me a reason why should a fight for a ruler who refuses to fight for the fate for his own kingdom?"

The way she said those words made Estes tremble as the Sai'ore loomed over him dangerously. He could see that she had really offended her with his words and surprisingly, seeing her so angry terrified him.

"You must understand, the City must not fall! There are things here which cannot fall into the hands of the abyss. Please, I will give you anything!" Estes practically begged, making Saya scoff. "There is nothing you have that I want."

With that, the ancient Sai'ore walked away, her decision taken; she would leave this city along with her flock for she will not risk them for a fight that was not hers.

"What if I told you that there is a way?" his words made Saya halt. She slowly turned towards him and spoke lowly, "Beg your pardon?"

Now that Estes has her full attention, he speaks further, "Your human friend, it's not exactly a secret that she is precious to you. But you do realize that humans have far shorter lifespan?"

The ancient Sai'ore lowered her head at this. Of course she knew this and the revelation was painful as always. "You don't have to remind me…."

Knowing that it was probably the only way, Estes took a deep breath and offered, "What if I told you that there is in fact a way to make her life everlasting?"

Saya's eyes widened at this and looked at Estes with disbelief. "Impossible…" she mumbles. There had been countless times in her past where she had tried to use the power of science to do so, and the closest her kind had come to was to extend the life expectancy of their kind by double, but that's it. Her loved ones would die eventually, so it was only postponing Saya's inevitable despair.

"The Magic of the Land of Dawn is incredible. It can make the impossible possible…" States Estes confidently, "So, do we have a deal?"

-X-

It was deep in the night when Saya had woke up from her sleep. They, along with several refugees were provided with bedrolls and camps to stay as the usual quarters for the refugees was already flooded with people. Hanabi had been fast asleep beside her after working tirelessly to help the people thus was totally engrossed in her well deserved rest. In fact most of the people were currently asleep, except for a few exceptions like the patrolling guards and surprisingly Nana, who was humming to herself by the fire place.

The conversation with King Estes still lingered within her mind, so sleep had completely been lost to her. Taking care not to wake Hanabi up, Saya slowly got out of their bedroll and went out for a stroll.

The Pale moon illuminated the empty paths of the city as Saya wandered aimlessly while thinking to herself.

'Could this be done? Could I make Hanabi immortal?'

This was still too good to be true for Saya to believe so she was in fact a bit sceptical about the promises that Estes was making, but that didn't mean that Saya's didn't feel a flicker of hope igniting within her.

'What if he is telling the truth? Wouldn't being able to spend eternity with the girl I love be too good of a bargain?'

Of course Saya knew that she would take the bargain, but still she worried what if the plan failed and the so called method didn't work.

These things really bugged Saya, thus she could not sleep at all.

Lost in thought, Saya looked up into the pale moon and let out a breath, "I really hope this works."

To her surprise, she suddenly heard voices of the guards down below who were chasing someone insensibly.

"Get her; she was sneaking into the city!"

Thunderous footsteps crackled on the stone path as a dozen guards pursued the figure that had trespassed into the city. Saya shook her head and was about to leave the area to avoid trouble. That was until the guards eventually caught their target and the victim roared, "Let go of me you filth!"

Hearing the familiar voice sent chills down Saya as she immediately looked below her platform and found out that it was none other than Alice who was being dog piled and chained by the guards. Upon seeing such a sight, Saya could only frown in worry, "What are you doing, Alice?"…..