“How was the third trial?”   “Higher positivity than the first one.”   “And is that good news?”                        Felipe smiled coquettishly as he showed me a tiny bottle filled with lilac liquid. “Efficacious, Gaia. The antidote was successful!” he bawled as he happily grasped the bottle in his hands. No matter how tough and tyrant he looks and acts, Felipe still has his soft side.   “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s carry out the next step,” I replied full of glee and gaiety.   “Four-thousand bottles were now on its way throughout the four states. And we have more

    “The sun rises in the east, and I wonder why you don’t burn,” Diego punned. Back to the river, he still clutches his arm around me as our foot glued over a branch of the tall tree. And the cherry carmine linen surrounding my body gather up enough warmth to heat the freezing air of breaking dawn.   “Are you that someone born yesterday?” I then answered sneeringly which he simply laughed and grabbed my neck to layer on his shoulder.   “Just curious. Mind if you tell me the reason why?”   “I didn’t expect you still believe children’s tales. Elders have spread that news all because cadets, combatants at a young age, usually execute basic combat training. And in order to perpetuate and keep confidential the strategic method from our enemies, they did makeup all those lie

  “How’s your squadron?” I asked Samara, who stood stationed at the foot of the slope of a hill just behind the Abberant pack capital.   “Already allocated to the said base, General Gaia,” she replied again with the usual happy-go-lucky smile on her face.                            I nodded and got off the horse, “Wait for my signal. A flare will be lighted and to be followed by five shots of cannon, but that doesn’t mean for the squadron to act. This wall ahead of us, we need to knock this down first.” I directed my point to the northern state of the territory. “Abberant’s defense system is a complex one that requires more than a hundred shots of cannon. The smoking bomb that we got enters this time. Wolves’ sensitivity will be lessene

 “Is this what the Senate wanted me to do?” I asked in a mocking voice. But Samara just laughed and deflected the way, gathering a portion of the cavalry directing east. “Maybe.” She shrugged. “It was up to you to reflect. It wasn’t me who is enchanted by an enemy.”                  Their squadron parted, forming an organized array. Veering towards my position, Samara rested her right arm across her chest and dropped her head. “We will take our leave from this distance, General Gaia. Our Pinansey-angan kingdom looks forward to our future diligences and also to the formal marriage alliance.” With that, she smiled and galloped her mount off. “Bring

    “Three of the same ones, General. But to our source, she said they escaped Daghum on the third one. So, I thought we can enter on the fourth—”   “Enter if you can,” a pitched voice interjected. Our heads then instantly turned to the malnourished tree by the tunnel to where that tiny voice come from and saw a pygmy-winged lady.   “You are?”                        The pixie answered with her nose and lips pointed out. “A pixie as you can see. And I say you will only pass through the gate if you answer three of my riddles.” She carries this green vibrant pair of eyes, a strange floral mark on her forehead, and a band of weaved leaves around her head. Wearing all in lim