Queen Kohra - 24 24

“Anak”

“Kohra….ah! Congratulations. I heard you were pregnant”

Kohra rolled her eyes and collapsed on the grass next to Lesker, her head landing perfectly on his laps.

“Your majesty, you’re safe. Thank the cosmos”

“Yes. I see you’ve met Anak. Did he annoy you or try to eat you?”

“Ehn, no. He was nice to me. He even gave me a gift”

“A gift? Give it to me now, it could blow you up”

Lesker had no choice but to give the necklace to Kohra. She was really surprised when she saw it and gave it back to him.

“You gave him…a gift?”

“Yes. Stop thinking I’m a villain Kohra. Well, I’m not exactly a hero. Besides, he’s a nice boy”

“The first time we met, you tried to EAT me!”

“Now, now Kohra, that was joke. You disturb my lake all the time and I don’t try to eat you”

“That’s because Britta would murder you”

As Kohra and Anak argued back and forth, Lesker remembered the old librarian who gave him the portal stone. He brought out the stone from his pocket and rubbed the surface.

“Oi Lesker, that has Britta’s magix on it. Where did you get it?” Anak inquired after seeing the stone.

“She gave it to me in the library. I thought she’s the librarian”

“Well, Britta is Anak’s wife. She’s also a royal. She likes reading so she made herself the royal librarian. I don’t know why she decided to act like an old woman too” Kohra answers.

“Ehn, she’s not old?”

“Nope, she is. She’s already fifty. However, she had Anak’s core so she’s technically immortal so her old woman appearance is a really expensive and unnecessary disguise. She doesn’t age and she’s stuck looking like a middle aged woman”

“Immortality, hun?” Lesker pondered.

“Oh, I just remembered. How is Jeir and Sephira?”

“Those two are in the palace now. I decimated the rebellion but I know they would be back. Jeir’s acting queen in my place. Anak, I need your help”

“What is it?”

“If I’m not wrong, the rebellion today was part of an elaborate plan and it surely involves the gods. It isn’t easy breaking into the palace. I’ve been toyed enough by the gods and made fun of by the men. I want what I lost back”

“Kohra, I’ve warned you about this….”

“Yes, but I can’t just sit back and die like this. It’s my kingdom in danger now. I want my missing part back now!”

“Kohra, you know what it takes? There are only two ways to get your divine spark back. You either grow a new one or take your old one back. Growing a new one would take the ritual of unliving and you can’t take your old one back. Just give it up”

“If you’ve forgotten, let me remind you. I am Kohra Ataliya, Queen of Ataliya and I will not stand by while my kingdom falls into ruin. I am willing to do anything it takes”

“I knew it would come to this. You’re too stubborn Kohra. I’ll help you”

“Thank you Anak”

Anak snaps his finger and a swirl of his magix enters Kohra’s head through her brows.

“Find the Tetcha flower in the coldlands. That’s the first ingrdient for the ritual. Consume one petal to keep your life force running and bring the rest here. The second thing you need to get is the core of an undead drakken. You also need to get a leaf from the origin tree in the land of the Krolls, black vein gold from the oldest gold mine in the kingdom of gold and you know the last ingredient…..”

“Of course. I’ll be back in a month. Lesker, let’s go”

Kohra stood from his laps and Lesker stood with her. His mind was on the ritual while hers was on leaving the Kingdom.

“Zoma” She called and her bull-horse appeared from the bushes. She stroked the mane and jumped on her horse. Lesker got in behind her.

“You want to go through the portal in my lake, don’t you?” Anak asked with a deadpan expression.

“Yes” Kohra answered frankly.

Anak just shook his head and snapped his fingers again. A blue vortex appeared in the middle of the lake. Kohra nodded at Anak and rode into the vortex. Lesker’s howl of terror was still heard after they were gone.

Anak sighed and shook his head.

“There’s nothing you can do again. This is her choice” Britta’s voice echoed in his head.

“She’s just a child Britta. I once challenged them and lost miserably. I don’t want her risking her life”

“She’s going to die either ways. The ritual of Unliving would only give her a temporary divine spark unlike the ritual of the Undead. Let her do this”

“Are you okay with this? She’s your family after all”

“She’s first and foremost a Queen and a Great Queen would do anything for her kingdom. We understand and respect that”

“I hear you. I’ll prepare the materials for the ritual”

“Anak….I know you considered her a daughter and it saddens you to see her suffer”

“I understand responsibilities and their importance. I too would do my part”

“I’m sorry my love”

Anak didn’t reply her.