Enthralled By You

- BLACK PANTHER -

They seemed too serious...

Hanaya has been surreptitiously keeping her eyes from Aseron and the High Priestess. She's wondering why Aseron didn't take his leave yet. Usually, he didn't stay within a day and will always leave as soon as possible every time he visits in their camp village. He's always in a hurry as if he has an important errand to do that shouldn't be missed in a day.

If only her glaring eyes could burn, the intensity of her gaze might've set Aseron into flame. That stupid advice that he suggested few days ago was annoying and still taunting on her mind. She left him in the snow-laden pine forest with a heavy heart since he refused to explain further why they can't be together.

Since that day, he's always in her line of sight. He's loitering around everywhere she goes. It should've lightened and appeased her resentful heart because he seemed to care and looks like he's checking up on her too but no— he'd just stare at her stoically with his incisive charcoal eyes and his usual adamantine face.

And it infuriated her more when he avoided talking to her but he seemed to have all the day to conversate with the High Priestess. It's been days that she'd always seen them coming down from the Great Shrine and talking about something nobody knows.

Because she can't contain her jealousy and curiosity anymore, she sent a grayish snow bunting to listen their conversation since there's no such luck she could go closer and eavesdrop as they walked leisurely along the disrupted rows of conifer trees.

They're heading north towards the High Priestess' residence. The weather was freezing and bone chilling yet they seemed not to care as they trod along the snow covered path.

The weather condition today was better compared the other day which they experienced a heavy snow fall and strong blast of wind. Their village was almost hit by an avalanche. Fortunately, Aseron and some of the priestesses have enough skills and combined their strength to subdue it. After that destructive storm, their daily task had doubled for cleaning and clearing up the ground with all the fallen trees and thick piles of snow along their path.

She can control the wind but the unusual force on that day was too powerful and unfortunately beyond her skill. She didn't dare to use her ability to repress the violent disturbance of the nature because she knew it's futile. She sensed something ominous at the course of the wind. The unparalleled force seemed to converged destructive energies of the world and amassed it altogether into the dark turbulent sky. It was tremendous and cataclysmic phenomenon that she could never able to handle.

All of the servants were wondering and sensed that it wasn't a natural occurrence. There's something uncanny about that terrible day that even the priestesses were unsettled and confused until today.

"Hanaya, let's go. Aren't you going to take your lunch?"

Her friend Roise came up all of the sudden and snapped her out from her reverie. She looks at her with startled eyes.

"Woah, I can't believe this—" She exclaimed as she eyed Hanaya. "Did I just wake you up from your trance?" Shaking her head, she tutted. "This habit of yours is quite fantastic. Such a wonderful day to get fall in daze, huh?" She mocked as every spout of her warm breath emitted a fascinating vapor in the frosty air.

Hanaya disregarded her scoff while she looked around and found that everyone already stopped from clearing off the remaining clutters that littered all throughout. They're heading back towards the spacious lunch hall in their village where all servants gathered to have their lunch.

"What a terrible day!" Roise whimpered dreadfully while she tightened her scarlet scarf around her neck. "All I want is to dive in my bed and seek refuge under my warm blanket."