Survive As The Brute’s Wife - Chapter 133

The night was young when Maximus and Alexandra stepped out of the gates of the city. The moon was hanging high and the chilly autumn breeze cut through their faces as their horses galloped on that road leading to the forest.

The whole place looked divine with the silver mist covering the ground. Alexandra saw the temple at the distance and inadvertently let out a sigh.

She heard that a couple more women died of unknown causes in the Harem. She was depending too much on Julius to tell her how the women died, but it seems like Julius has no plans to tell her the truth. She decided to investigate it herself.

Kefir could help, but he’s been avoiding her. She could not believe he just abandoned her. She tried to contact Sekwi—the phoenix—and she didn’t get any reply (as she expected). But Sekwi did say that Kefir was otherwise occupied and he won’t come to her aid for some time.

She tried to figure out what might be keeping Kefir but she couldn’t figure it out.

She turned to her side and Maximus too was in his own thoughts. With the moonlight on his face and his fluttering cape, he looked so enchanting.

[I truly cannot give him up!]

Maximus slowed down probably because he felt her stare at him. She slowed down too as she figured he is going to speak.

“Should we rest? Are you tired?” he asked.

“No,” Alexandra chuckled. “It’s only been a couple of hours. Why would I need rest?”

” You’re smiling,” he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

“I am.” She furrowed her brows. “when was I not?” she asked as she found his reaction a bit… unsettling.

He looked at her keenly for some time before nodding. “You’re pretty.”

They rode deep into the forest, and Alexandra could feel the darkness that made the air in there, stale. She felt tingles all over her body and she covered herself with the cloak so as not to get exposed to the air. The air started to get pungent the deeper they ventured inside the forest and the horses refused to go in further.

Alexandra cast a purification spell and she saw the darkness dissipate. But as the spell spread through the forest, they could feel a lot of creatures running away, just like animals would run away when there is a forest fire.

“Will they decide to fight us?” Alexandra asked Maximus.

The last time they met with those worm monsters, they fought her. She heard them wail and she now understood the meaning behind their wail. The darkness inside them didn’t want to leave them. And so the darkness urged the monsters to leave. If they hurt her, her blood would turn them back.

But the monsters fought her. It should be that the monsters want the darkness inside them purged and they decided to fight for their freedom from darkness.

“They will be avoiding you,” he said, his eyes were focused at the distance.

Alexandra felt something nefarious in the forests. There was a lot of darkness around, but she felt like one particular creature had darkness so evil that stuck out like a sore thumb.

She held Maximus’ hand and he stopped.

“Morfan is here,” she whispered.

The creatures that were scurrying around were not running away from her but from Morfan. As she concentrated on the various sounds, she could hear the cries of the monsters. Their cries didn’t affect her much because she has awakened and knows her strength. She can protect herself.

“This is Morfan’s feeding ground, Maximus,” she said, focusing her eyes at the distance, to her right.

Luke couldn’t summon any summoned beasts in his previous life and he had made a contract with the dark lord Inanis. He has given him aid with his faithful servant Morfan. She didn’t know it all her previous life.

Like her summoned beasts, Morfan needs mana to sustain his presence in the mortal world. But unlike them, Luke does not have enough mana to sustain a dark being like Morfan. So Luke must have left Morfan to feed on the dark mana of the monsters.

[It is dangerous!]

Maximus let out a deep breath. “I figured that would be the case ever since I knew Arioch had him. I didn’t want to bring in my men in here for the same reason. But, Lexa,” he looked at her. “If the monsters are turned back to their true form, who will Morfan feed on?”

His dread-filled voice made Alexandra shiver too. If Morfan cannot find monsters to feed on, he will go for humans.

“Well, there is only one option left here, isn’t it?” Alexandra smirked.

“Yes, there is,” Maximus shrugged. “It’s been a while, Coxcomb!” he said, and his face lit up.

“Do you think he would be here?” Alexandra asked drawing her sword out. If he was here, this would be a nice chance to end it once and for all.

“May…be?” Maximus’eyes started to glow.  Alexandra knew he wants this all to end sooner too.

“Let’s go, Tubby!” Alexandra was happy.

It has been a while since they have fought together. And if they could kill Luke here, they can live the rest of their life peacefully.

Their horses galloped deep inside the forest. Alexandra saw the monsters—small and big—running away from Morfan. Some little monsters hid behind her to protect themselves. She cut the tip of her finger and used a wind spell to disperse minute droplets of her blood all over the forest.

She saw the decrepit and dark-looking creatures starting to turn to the natural inhabitants of the forest. Some turned back to bugs, some weird creatures with hideous appearances that appeared to have been hopping beside them turned to rabbits.

The wails of the monsters got slowly replaced with joyful songs of liberation.

But as they went deeper, the darkness became thicker and they saw soot-like secretions dripping from the branches of trees. The moon was covered by the darkness and dread ruled the place.

As the presence of Morfan got near, it had swallowed all the noises around. Nothing was making a sound and it was eerily calm. The air started to get dense making it hard for them to breathe.

“Kefir!” Alexandra called for assistance just in case.

She fought with the darkness a long time ago and she was much stronger then. She didn’t know if she held the same strength now. And Kefir is the opposite of what Morfan is now. Morfan used to be a spiritual beast and since he started serving the Dark Lord, he became a beast of the darkness.

And so, Kefir would be of the same strength as Morfan.

“I cannot fight with the dark powers, Arimelda. You should know that!”

Alexandra turned to her side to hear the familiar voice. But she was stunned to see the figure wearing bright white robes with a white jade belt and long and wide futtering sleeves. His long white hair fluttered as he traveled beside them in a cloud of wind. There was a long jade flute on his belt and his smooth skin glowed like porcelain even in that darkness.

“Kefir..?” she asked, her brows knitted with astonishment.

She knew the top-class beasts are the ones that have ascended to godhood and they can take the humanoid form. But she was surprised. She has never seen Kefir in his humanoid form before.

[Wow! He is so pretty!]

“You have forgotten a lot, Arimelda,” Kefir said, and that snapped her out of her reverie.

“You have shown yourself in this form to me before?” she asked. “I never knew you are this pretty, Kefir!” her voice became high-pitched out of excitement.

“Ehem!”

The not-so-pleased grunt of Maximus was heard to her left and Alexandra accidentally bit her tongue out of shock.

But she endured her pain. She felt like she has done something wrong, but she didn’t want to accept that.

“Of course, my husband is the most handsome,” she added. Apart from the mild jerking of her body when she accidentally bit her tongue, she figured that no one would have figured out the unnecessary guilt she felt.

She just admired beauty. There is nothing wrong with that!

Maximus bowed his head and smiled. He is not going to get jealous of Kefir. Well,  he did, just a teeny bit, but he recovered and appreciated his wife’s thoughtfulness.

She is his. That fact has become irrefutable and irreplaceable.

“Ithildin!” Maximus summoned.

As a bright ball of light, the Pegasus appeared and rode right above them. The trees around them have lost their lives and are withering. Just a little win broke their branches like they were just pieces of rotten cloth.  Even the noise of the falling branches was not heard. It was as if Morfan was swallowing everything around him.

“Max, tell me if it gets uncomfortable,” Alexandra told Maximus. She has put a spell to counter the darkness but she didn’t know how well it would hold considering the darkness in Maximus’  soul.

Darkness loves darkness. And she feared if Mmorfan might affect Maximus more.

“I will,” Maximus said.

They saw a cave to their front and the entire area around was surrounded by thick smoke.

“Here he is,” Maximus stopped his horse. Alexandra stopped beside him. She patted her horse that was scared to be in this place.

“Come on out!” she shouted.

Everyone got ready to attack.

[Will Luke be here?]