Author's Note:

HAPPY 2017 and I'm back! 😎

My apologies for the long delay.
Thanks for all the support! Now, here's the chapter 33.
Enjoy reading!

Chapter 33 - Clearer

As we walk deeper into the cave, I noticed the changes in my breathing pattern. It became labored. I believe that it has something to do with the oxygen levels in this parts of the cave. After all, we're inside a volcanic cavern.

I glance at Axel and Marshall. They didn't seem to mind that we're running out of oxygen. With a stoic look on their faces, they just continue to walk effortlessly.

Suddenly, Marshall stops.

Finally!

Panting heavily, I heard Marshall announced, "This is the dragon's den,"

A dragon? Does that mythological creature even exist?

Looking back, what Axel did with the swirling water orbs didn't even sound realistic to me. If I wasn't there to witness it, I wouldn't even consider it as real.

When I look up, I saw a monstrous figure of a dragon in the middle of an island-like pile of stones. It was surrounded by molten lava that's coming from deep inside this volcano. For a moment, I thought it was real, but after studying it for a few seconds, I figured out that it was just a statue.

Who on earth would build a humongous dragon statue inside a bloody volcano?

"Get that thing off already and move along. We don't have much time dwelling in this god forsaken room," Axel said irately earning our attention.

He may be rude but he's right. We shouldn't stay here. The smoke inside this room is toxic to human beings. If we stay a little while longer, we will surely get suffocated.

"Fine, fine..." I heard Marshall uttered with a scowl before started walking towards the statue. He stops on the edge of the rock near the head of the dragon statue. Before he could even start what he is about to do, a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Itigil mo yan! Bakit kayo nandirito? Mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ni Covus ang mga tao na tumungtong sa loob ng pasilyong ito," (Stop! Why are you here? Corvus' strict orders are not to let people inside this chamber) she said venomously.

As if Marshall could understand the language, he turns to the owner of the voice and replied with the same language fluently, "Wala ka sa posisyon para sabihin sa akin iyan, Maiah," (You're in no position to tell me that, Maiah)

Axel and I both turn our heads to see the person whom Marshall refer to as Maiah. Standing in the corner, we saw a woman with a long straight black hair and brown complexion like Benny and Berto.

"Isa kang taksil!" (You're a traitor!) She hollers. Suddenly, a group of masked men wearing ninja suits emerges from behind her.

"Are we on a costume party or something?" I mumbled but it's loud enough for Axel to hear.

My eyes widens when I saw them unleashed their swords.

"Hulihin sila!" (Capture them!) Maiah ordered. They dash towards Marshall and start attacking him with their weapon.

I immediately approached Axel's side when some of them turns in our direction.

"They're coming this way!" I said as I grab Axel's arm. He didn't even budge from where he is standing and just look at me flatly.

This guy is so frustrating!

"They have swords for crying out loud!" I screamed at his face.

"I have two eyes. You don't need to verbalize it," He said as a matter of fact.

"Then what are you doing just standing there!?"

"What do you want me to do then? Run like a coward?"

"No! But a least---eepppp!" I stop mid-sentence when a metal sword was swung between Axel and I, missing us by a few inches and cutting a few strands of my hair.

I stared at the weapon wide eye.

How dare he!

Axel, as fast as I could blink, disarmed the masked man and put him on his knees breaking a bone or two.

Without any further ado, I kick him where the sun don't shine and he cried in agony clutching his precious jewel.

I'm mad? Yes!

"Cutting a maiden's hair without permission is a mortal sin!" I screamed at him before giving him a punch on his face sending him into unconsciousness.

As he drops on the ground, I let out a satisfying smirk.

Good riddles!

When I turn around, I saw Axel looking at me with a newfound emotion. Shock? No... It's more like an amusement.

"What are you looking at?" I ask raising a brow.

Axel dash towards me. Before I can even comprehend what was happening, he pulled me towards him and I found myself in his arms.

"Wh-what's your problem?" I stuttered as I regain my footing.

"Standing idly in the middle of a battlefield was an idiotic move, woman. You'll die in an instant," he stated with eyes full of anger and...what is that? Desperation?

Why is he looking at me like that? At first, I thought his anger was darted towards me and then I realized that was not the case. After he back away, I finally saw what has transpired just a few moments ago.

There, lying on the ground. I saw four lifeless bodies covered in a pool of blood.

I was speechless beyond belief that when I finally look back at Axel, all I did was stared at him. My eyes darted to the object that he was holding. It was the same katana from the man he disarmed awhile ago, but the difference this time, the once clean sheathe was now covered with red thick liquid.

"Next time, never let your guard down," Axel says before turning around and left me standing in the middle of the bloody corpses. I wanted to say something but before I can even utter a word, I saw the big gash on Axel's back.

I gasp at the sight.

"Axel...you-your back. It's bleeding!"

"It will heal," He said without looking back before he aided Marshall into taking down Maiah's goons.

He protected me...again. He even used his body as a freaking shield to cover me! I didn't even say a simple thank you in return.

But why?

With my head full of jumbled thoughts, I ended up looking at the dragon statue.

'Collect all the knights and you'll see,' I suddenly remembered, sending chills down to my spine. Those words echoed in my head like she's whispering a lullaby that will put me into a dream-like state.

No!

I won't let it happen again! Brushing my thoughts away from the girl with a mirror image of myself, I took a few steps towards the edge of the land next to the lava lake.

With a drop of sweat forming at my temples because of the increase in temperature, I scan the features of the dragon statue in front of me.

So, I wonder where is the stone.

If Axel choose not to answer my questions, I guess I just have to find that out myself.

I started scanning its features just in case I see something shiny. Those ring glows by the presence of their owners. If my guess is right, Marshall's the owner of the next stone. If he's around, it'll glow like the blue stone at Mr. Alastair's mansion.

Yes, I remembered everything. After my encounter with the somnium lilies that made me talk with my subconscious, my memories are starting to came back. Like a veil, all the blurred moments that I cannot remember when I started going into places with Axel are starting to become clear as day. In all of the revelations I encountered there's one thing that really caught my attention and that is— the stones of Queen Catherine. The first time I encountered it at the failed exchange in Las Vegas, I was able to identify it right away. Without even knowing it's origins, I was able to determine whether it was fake or not.

But how?

According to Mr. Alastair, it belongs to the royal family of Romanovs in our small kingdom of Atlantria. But how come I never saw a piece of that jewelry in possession of my father? Nor in the historical books of Atlantria history?

Suddenly, I felt a wave of heat inside my shirt. When my hand found the familiar ring resting on my chest, I was brought back to the time when my grandfather was on his deathbed.

All frail and weak, his last wish before he died was to talk to me in private. To be honest, I never shared a very close relationship with my grandfather but aside from Al, he's the only family member that considered my existence inside the family. So I guess that he's an important figure in my life.

Among the three of us siblings, I was considered the black sheep. Always the inferior one in the eyes of my parents. Even though I obeyed all their commands and wishes, I was still cast on the sidelines while my two other siblings were put into the spot light, in which I didn't mind at all. It gives me a very loose leash that gives me a slight freedom to roam around the city with the help of my cousin Al.

'For the last 15 years,' my grandfather started in a barely audible sound. I lean my head forward so that I'll be able to hear and understand what he is saying. 'I failed to be your grandfather.'

I was a selfish and a coward for keeping things away from you, but it is the only way I know how to protect you,' He said but I remained silent.

I reach up and hold his hand. It was cold and clammy.

'On my drawer,' he suddenly says, 'there's a gold box inside, can you take it for me my child?' He asked.

I nodded my head and obeyed him. After I opened the drawer, I found a lone box sitting inside. It was covered in pure gold with a Romanov crest engraved on top of it. I stared at it in puzzlement.

What does he want with this? If it has the official crest of our family, it means that it's an important item.

After I stared at the golden box, I immediately return to my grandfather's side and hand him the box.

'Here's the item that you're asking grandfather,'

'Open it, my child,'

I stared at the box. 'Was it alright for me to do this?' I asked him.

My grandfather manage to give me a weak smile. 'Of course, what makes you think you can't?' He asked. If he's not in so much pain, I bet he's laughing hysterically by now because of my silly actions.

'But mo- I mean the queen told me never—,'

'Never listen to that woman,' He said seriously. For a moment, I felt the gravity of his hatred, but change when he told me to open the box once again.

'Open it my child and take what's inside,'

I reluctantly opened the box and saw a ring with a black stone.

'It's yours to keep,'

My eyes snap back at him and saw him looking at me with tender eyes.

'It will make you suffer, but at the same time, it would keep you safe,' He said.

'What do you mean by that grandfather?'

'Keep it and don't let anyone take it. Keep it away from the prying eyes and greedy hands of people you'll come across. When the right moment comes, that ring will lead you to the right path,'

'But Grandfather, I don't understand,'

'You will my child, when the right time comes,' he said with firmness. 'But there's one thing I wanted you to promise me...'

I nodded my head. 'What is it grandfather?'

'Stay away from the crows,' he warned.

'Heed my warning my child. Stay away from the crows," he repeated as if he understood my confusion, but didn't dare elaborate what he really wanted to tell me. He remains cryptic. I wanted to think that it was the bird that he is talking about but there's a part of me saying that we're not actually reading the same page.

Without understanding what he truly meant, I said, 'yes grandfather, I will,'

'My granddaughter...' He paused. Trying to reach my face with his frail hands. 'You are truly a mirror image of your late mother,' he said the last part in a whisper. Before he can even touch my face, as if all of his life energy got sucked out, his hands grew limp just as he said his last words, 'I'm sorry,'

"Tasha!!!" I heard somebody screamed.

Sending me out on my trail of thoughts, I turn on my left side and saw Marshall running straight towards me.

Before my mind can sink in what is happening, I felt somebody pushed me on my side making me stumble and fall off the edge of the land.

Just like in a movie, It feels like I'm seeing everything in slow motion.

As I fall into the lake of hot scorching lava, I saw the face of my assailant. With a wicked grin plastered on her face, I heard her say, "Die, my princess,"

End of Chapter 33

I'll list the characters I've mention in this book (of course I'll exclude the names of the "mysterious one" lol. That'll be a major spoiler) coz some of you are quite confused in the name department when I was reading the comments. Lol

Character Lists:

Tasha Romano/Anastasia Romanov - the lead female protagonist
Axel/Maxwell Montblanc- lead male protagonist
Al-Tasha's cousin
Mason- Axel's friend
Christopher Bellamy Alastair- french tycoon
Mr. Reeves-Axel's butler
Dianara- Axel's lady friend?
Mia- Axel's housekeeper
Addie and Gustavo -Tasha's french acquaintances
Benny and Berto - Filipino twins
Corvus Leinard Romanov - Tasha's long lost older brother
Samantha Romanov - Tasha's sister
Maiah- Corvus' henchman
Marshall Dimitri - the holder of the red gemstone

The sums up all the mentioned characters so far...exclude the other's who are still a mystery. Lol

Hope this helps.
Sorry for all the grammatical errors. I'll fix it after I'm done with this book.

Next: Chapter 34 - Bomb's Away
Update: next week