Enthralled By You

41| Hidden Portal

Hanaya's brows furrowed.

She slowed her pace upon hearing the cheerful chitter of a gray snow bunting. It hops and prints its trails in the snow-covered ground. She shivered while marveling how could it able to insulate its body and survive throughout the harsh weather. It has a black wingtip and grayish plumage with a rufous coloration on its back. "Is that all?"

She tried to catch up what her little friend had tweeted about Aseron and the High Priestess. Every bit and piece of information was quite difficult for her to decipher. She gave up and dismissed the passerine bird when all she could grasp was all about a deity's wrath.

She smirks upon knowing how their conversation goes. It wasn't personal and far from what she assumed every time she saw them being together. Though, she won't let her guard down. She's wary from how the High Priestess lingered her cerulean eyes on Aseron. It stayed longer than how it's supposed to be. It doesn't go unnoticed because she's been doing it all along. Every time her eyelashes fluttered—it's inappropriate considering her high and respectable status in the Guild.

She snorted upon how dim-witted Aseron was for being unaware to sense such blatant flirtations waving in front of his eyes. Though, she didn't regard him as dumb at all—she knew how keen and observant he was. Either he's uninterested or playing hard to get to bid some time and fill his ego.

"Conceited oaf!" She hissed upon her new surge of doubts. It adds fuel to her endless suspicions. She would have slipped without her swift reflexes. She might have found herself rolling down the slopes when she lost her footing in an uneven terrain because of being careless.

Turning around, she thought of going back and wants to play hard to get too. He will gloat once he found out how easy it was to summon her at one beck and call.

Perusing at her trails and how far she had walked—she reconsider. If she hadn't recalled his grave tone, she will never set her feet in this bone-chilling forest. She smiled with contempt because she's framing an empty promise again. She's been fooling herself from assuming she had a strong will to resist him.

She trudged forward and followed what her heart wants.

Approaching the mystical umbra of pine forest, its shady ambience was eerie yet there's something sublime within it. The impeccable whiteness of winter flakes was perpetual as it shrouds against the thick and dark-green foliage of old pines.

The High Mountains of Calrassus remained a mystery upon its magical attributes. It was one of the reasons why everyone can't go down and leave on their own will. She's not certain about it since she didn't plan to leave the village but such thoughts had given her an epiphany. She can't wait to ask Aseron about it.

She shivered while clutching her cloak. She couldn't help it even when she came prepared and secured herself within a thick crimson cape. It was hellish and piercing when every ounce of her warmth freezes on her pores.

"What took you so long?"

She tried to conceal her heart's delight seeing Aseron. As usual, thousand wings of butterflies had fluttered within her gut. His scowling yet well-sculpted features will never be a disappointment. His grouchy yet commanding voice will forever be her trance to ascend straight to the seventh heavens. She cringed yet felt tickled from her sappy and overblown sentiments.

"Don't you know what time is it?" His usual frown was menacing and enough to make everyone to wobble.

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I took my time smoothing my hair, tinting my lips—you know doing things like this and that..." She teased while lowering her hood without breaking the connection of their eyes. She's trying to imitate how their High Priestess sizing him up under her eyelashes with her seamless ploy to appear modest yet outstanding for being a number one flirt. "Isn't it pretty?" She coquettishly coiled her freezing fingers at her flaxen blond tress to annoy him more.