Chapter 229: Sasani: Love for Mother

In an attempt to look for Ned, Sasani circled the forest, and the crashed site three times per day. Digging was useless. They did dig but nothing left but rubbles and roots of the trees. It was empty of Ned.

It has been 2 days since Ned fell underground after a beast blasted the ground together with him.

"Lady Sasani," Twali said, still in a ripped black suit. "We need to leave. I will send someone to look for him."

"I can't," Sasani said in response to his butler's request. Her eyes were red on both dust and cry. Her ginger hair was clear under the rays of the sun. "We can't leave him, Twali."

Behind Twali was the Hallowguard team, with Hunter Jo leading them, both to find Ned and to secure the area of invading beasts. Luckily, the invaders were common wargs and goblins.

Molly and the Overseer Margaret took Ulysses back to the nearest Hunter's headquarters for treatment. That left them a lot of time to secure the place but with less rest.

Sasani grew worried as the days passed. Ned had saved ones, twice, she has even forgotten how many times. But now that Ned needed help, she couldn't be there.

Sasani clenched the mud underneath as she was on her knees looking at the hole the blast had made.

"It's getting dark," Hunter Jo said behind Twali. "We need to leave, Master Twali. We are losing resources as the days gone. My team can't keep up with the pace here. We've been roaming the site and settlements for days."

Twali raised a hand, not looking at the hunter behind him.

The hunters fell to silence, not even their breathing could be heard.

"Lady Sasani," Twali said walking closer to her. "I will make sure that he will be found. But I'm afraid, that after a week if we couldn't find him. Then, let's assume the worst."

Again, another silence. Hunter Ja spun around to leave the gloomy atmosphere. He doesn't like Ned, but he doesn't hate him either. For him, he was a kid full of vigor and adventuring.

–

Another day had passed, and Sasani felt guilt since she was unable to find Ned.

"Asashil," Sasani said, her hands over her chest. "Maker of Life, please guide Ned."

Sasani wasn't even sure anymore if Ned did survive the fall.

Twali sent for his hunters to find Ned returning with nothing but another promise that tomorrow they would find him.

Sasani lost hoped, she thought she could be happy before she was sent to the academy. Even faith disagreed with her.

Sasani wiped the tears on her cheeks as the door was tapped with a knock.

"Come in," she said.

It was one of her made, bringing food in a cart and a worried face.

"My Lady," the maid said. "You need to eat."

She pushed the cart across Sasani's bed. Together with the flapping of her maid uniform, she curtsied and pulled something out of her front pocket.

"I will, Kora," Sasani said. "What is that?"

"Letters from Lord Sven and... You may want to check it, My lady."

"Leave it there."

Sasani's eyes were locked at the table beside her. She was back in her room in Sudden Plate manor after a long day of traveling and worrying.

Kora the maid put the letters and left the door leaving Sasani with another curtsy.

Sasani sat at her bed. Although comfy, it wasn't enough to lift her feeling. She became sadder as the day goes by. Now, another reason to even be sadder.

She ignored the food. Instead, she picked up the letter. The first one was white and smelled of an old book. The letter was from her father.

Tearing the letter, she began to read it.

'Dear.'

The letter was written in a manner that would make Sasani feel the love of her father.

'Twali told me what you did, and your new friend has gone missing after his raid went unexpected. I know I've been hard on you. That is why I let you wear the mask to give you freedom before the time comes. I've known it for quite some time, maybe longer than Twali. But I let you do it, I know you needed it. You needed freedom. But time is running, and now is the time for you to leave whatever you have there and proceed with the promise. Finish what you have promised and you will have whatever you wanted. I know it seemed ironic but after all these. You will attain power even the Great Houses and Royal House will tremble in your wake. To start. Open the other letter.'

Sasani knew that the moment her father sent her a letter instead of communicating with her using Communication Claim, it was rather a serious matter. That even her, even if she doesn't want it, must obey with her father.

Sasani closed the letter, put it beside the other letter, and opened the other one.

Her appetite was all gone after reading the first letter, and she knew the second letter will vomit whatever she had eaten for the last hours.

Unlike the first letter which was made in a simple manner, the second was elaborately adorned with glittering crystals and stamped with the sender's seal.

The seal was embossed by a flower of intricate petals, and a blade underneath it, then lined with leaves that looked like to be a fern.

Sasani broke the seal, uncaring of the exquisite stamp.

Pulling the paper out the letter Sasani read it with a hint of distress on her voice:

"Logaria Academy," Sasani said. Her hands were trembling, almost tearing the letter apart.

But she held on to it, it's either the promise she made before her mother died or her freedom.

She loved her mother.

Inside was a ring of the same logo as the seal had. The Logaria ring.

The content of the letter was simple writing:

You have been accepted at the prestigious Academy of Logaria. The ring is the promise and we welcome you. - Headmaster, Sasaluz Anu.