Honey : The Empire's Treasure 131 Say What....

"Where is General Gilwenys?" Ailwin asks of Braeden's second-in-command, Trevan.

"Commander, General Gilwenys went inside the city at sunrise to capture the runaways."

Ailwin looked at the almost setting sun, "Has anyone come back yet?"

"Yes sir, two captains have returned with all of the runaways."

"All the clan leaders have been captured? Then why hasn't General Gilwenys returned?" Ailwin couldn't understand what his friend was doing.

*Sigh*

"Call the two captains to my tent, I want to speak with them."

Inside his tent, Ailwin was looking over the complaints from all the clans in the border area. Even though they were able to stop the war, the problems at the border were far from over.

"Sir, the two captains are here..." Trevan announced, dragging Ailwin's attention from the reports lying on his table.

Dismissing Trevan, Ailwin asked the two captains what happen in the city.

"Commander, we entered the city on General Gilwenys command and were able to capture all the clan leaders. As we were leaving, we heard a fledgling's voice."

"A fledgling's voice? What is a fledgling doing inside the city?"

"We don't know sir. General Gilwenys told us to bring the captives out of the city while he went to investigate."

"How long ago was that?"

"I would say about five hours ago sir, maybe six?"

"Okay, dismiss."

After sitting for a while longer by himself, Ailwin couldn't take it any longer and geared up to enter the city.

____

"You should close your mouth before something flies in it..." Mika said to the group of men who still had their mouths wide open.

Braeden could believe his eyes, the things this girl did...and she actually healed the tree.

"How did you do that?" Braeden said as he walked around the tree, touching its trunk all over.

"Do what?"

"What you did to the tree and the water?"

"What did I do to the tree and the water?"

"You healed them!"

"If you know, then why did you ask?" Mika walked away from Braeden and made her way to the stone path.

Step by step, she crossed over to the other side. Entering the tunnel, she left the stunned men behind her.

"General is what I just saw real?" One of his captains questioned.

"I don't know...I don't have the answers, only she does..." Braeden said as he pointed to an empty space where Mika was just standing.

"Where did she go!?" Braeden was twirling around looking for Mika's shadow when one of his soldiers pointed to the tunnel in which they all came from.

"Damn It! Why didn't you guys stop her!?" Braeden yelled as he crossed the stone path and walked into the tunnel, leaving his men to catch up.

"Mikaela, you should run away now! Those men will soon be after you..." Yumsa warned.

"I know."

"...but won't this cause trouble?" Yumsa knew that not all Fae were good. It's one of the reasons why the spirits never reveal themselves to anyone, other than to Mikaela.

"Don't worry about that, I have a plan..."

Mika pulled a small bottle with a cork top from out of her pocket. Shaking it, she was glad she had prepared this before she left the Vlacca estate.

"Mikaela, what is this?" Yumsa flew down to Mika's hands, mesmerized by the glittering golden substance inside.

"Mmm...I don't know what I'm going to call it yet, but this will take care of our little problem..."

"How?"

"Wait until we have reached the surface, I'm going to need your help..." Mika exposed an evil smirk while she explained to Yumsa what she needed her to do.

Before Mika reached the stairwell, Braeden and his men caught up to her.

"Mikaela, you didn't answer my questions!?" Braeden grabbed Mika's arm as she was trying to leave the cavern.

"I know. I'll answer it when we've reached the surface."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"Why can't I tell you at the surface?"

"..."

".....?"

"*sigh*...fine." Braeden led the way to the surface, with ambers stones lighting up the steps before them.

At the top five more men stood waiting for their General's return.

"Sir!" The group called upon seeing Braeden exiting the stairwell.

"En. Any problems?"

"No, sir."

"Good." Turning around, Braeden looked at Mika and waited.

Catching his drift, Mika nodded.

Receiving Mika's signal, Yumsa made herself invisible and flew up above Mika's head, creating a soft wind to circled around the men.

Very subtle, Mika uncorked the bottle in her hand and let the powder disburse into the wind. Soon little flecks of golden particles were shimmering in the air.

"Speak! How did you do that down there?" Braeden was so focus on getting his answers from Mika, he didn't notice the strange wind nor the golden particles.

"Hold on one minute!" Mika was trying to cast her enchantment as quickly as possible before the men notice anything strange going on.

"No, I won't wait another minute. You will tell me how you he...what the hell?" Braeden couldn't get the rest of his words out of his mouth, something was blocking it.

Braeden grabbed his throat in alarm, his men thought he was choking.

"Sir!? What's wrong?"

"I-I can't speak the words!" Braeden looked at his men in confusion.

"Sir, what do you mean you can't speak? You're talking right now..." One of the captains who followed him downstairs said.

"No...that's not what I mean," Turning to Mika, Braeden pointed at her. "Ask her what happ-...see, I can't say a word!"

"Okay, okay, General. I'll ask." Think Braeden might have hit his head at some point, the captain turned to Mika to ask a question.

"Miss, How did yo-...huh? what's going on!?"

"See!" Braeden was glad it wasn't just him.

Everyone who went down the stairs tried to speak or ask questions about the events that happened in the cavern, but they couldn't get the words out of their mouths.

Looking at Mika, Braden knew she did something to them.

"What did you do!?"

"What did I do?" Mika backed away from Braeden like she was scared of him.

"Do not toy with me! You did something to us!"

"How? I didn't even touch you! Plus I'm just a little girl, what can I do to a group of soldiers...?"

"You!" Braeden couldn't deny what she said. Even the most experienced enchanters have to touch or write out their spells.

However, even knowing all that, he knows she had to be the one to have done something to them.

Charging towards Mika, Braeden grabbed both her arms and pulling her off the ground.

"Now listen her-....!" The men don't know what happened to their General, one minute he was holding the little fledgling, the next he was bent down on the ground.

"General Ginwenys!" The captains ran to Braeden's side, but Braeden couldn't respond. His family's jewels were hurting!

When Braeden hoisted Mika off the ground, he had left himself wide open to her dangling legs.

"General..?"

"I'm fine...just..give me a minute..." Braeden was so embarrassed he didn't want to tell his men what had just happened.

Looking at Mika's face, it read innocent, but her eyes were laughing.

This was the first time being bought to his knees by a fledgling, it made Braeden see red.

"Commander!" A soldier called out after seeing Ailwin walk into the ruins.

All the men stood at attention, saluting Ailwin as he passed them to make his way to Braeden.

"What you no longer regard me as your Commander anymore?" Ailwin spoke when he saw Braeden was still bent down on the ground.

Not wanting to state the pain he is in nor defy his friend, Braeden struggled to get up. Standing in front of his friend, Braeden could only lock his knees together and hunched his back to stop the severe pain in this standing position.

Ailwin just looked at his friend and inwardly sighed, he'll have to deal with him later.

Turning his attention to Mika, Ailwin wanted to make his way over, but Braeden grabbed his arm.

Looking at his friend questioningly, all Braeden could say was, "Be careful..."

Chapter end