Honey : The Empire's Treasure 129 Bet!

Mika ripped pieces of her clothing to clog her and Yumsa noses. The closer they got to the source of the odor, the thicker the smell became.

"Mikaela, I don't think I can hold on for much longer..."As a sylph, Yumsa was more susceptible to the changes in the air.

"Just a little more Yumsa, I can see an opening!"

Five more minutes of walking, Mika entered a natural underground spring. The sight would have been stunning, if not for the murky water and the dead white tree standing in the middle of it.

"Is this the tree...?" Yumsa asked.

Mika couldn't be sure, but the location and the setting match the cave her mother took her to.

"Let's go over and see..." Mika looked down at the water, though it wasn't high, some could still be living in it, or the water could be toxic.

Looking around the cavern, Mika spotted stone path in the water leading the tree. Making her way over, Mika was careful to not to fall and lt the water touch her.

Back on leveled ground, Mika made her way to the dead white tree.

"Mikaela! the scent is coming from the tree!" When Mika walked to within five feet of the tree, Yumsa could barely breathe. The odor was like a wall, beating at her mind and body.

Seeing Yumsa sickly state, Mika backed away from the tree and told Yumsa to wait for her back across the water.

Wanting to stay but seeing that she'll be no use to Mikaela, Yumsa unwillingly left.

When she was sure Yumsa was a safe distance away, Mika

approached the tree again.

Making her way around the tree, Mika was careful not to touch it. She didn't know if the toxins coated the tree. If it did, her testing it out on her own body wouldn't help anyone especially her.

Doing a completely 360 around the tree, Mika realized that even though she called the tree dead, it wasn't. Though leaves have long ago stop sprouting, and the bark has dropped off leaving its wood exposed to the elements; it is still producing honey!

"How is this possible?" Mika stared at the sticky honey oozing from the tree's side.

Mika was limited by what she could do. She didn't have a fully functioning lab with her, nor did she had one at the Vlacca clan to a.n.a.lyze the problem. The most she could do now was try and take some samples back with her of the honey and water.

Frustrated by her lack of equipment, Mika sought Drako's insight into this problem.

"Drako..."

"Did you find the honey tree?" Drako had anxiously waited for anything she has found.

"Yes.. but I can't do anything about!" Mika relaid the situation she was facing now.

"If you can't use a lab to a.n.a.lyze the problems, then use your gifts..."

"..but I don't know how deadly the toxins are...if I touch the tree, honey or water won't be opening myself up to diseases..." It wasn't like Mika hadn't thought about this solution, but she ruled it out as being too risky.

"Mikaela...I believe the reason why no Fae has been able to fix the honey tree problem is because they are depending on the machines...For you to heal the trees, you need to use your gifts. Your gifts can do much more than the machines can."

"...okay, I'll give it a try." She knew what Drako was saying was logical.

She doesn't know when she'll get a chance like this again to come here, and she has to touch the tree anyways to heal it. Why not try today?

Leaving her mind's s.p.a.ce, Mika stared at the tree in front of her.

"Okay, Mika you can do this...just take it slow..." Letting her gifts flow through her body, Mika raised her hands, preparing to touch the tree.

"Stop!" Braeden and his men walked out of the tunnel, to see the fledgling about to touch that nasty looking tree.

Mika looked behind her to see ten men flooding into the room.

There were people in the city? Mika thought when she watched one guy make his way to the stone water-path.

"What are you doing!?" Braeden yelled at Mika when he finally made it across that murky water.

"What are you doing?" Mika replied.

"I asked you first!" Braeden asked.

"I asked you second," Mika replied.

"Why did you come down here!?" Braeden asked.

"Why did you come down here?" Mika replied.

"...."

"...."

Braeden's men were confused, did the general know this little fledgling? Was that why he was playing with her?

*Sigh*

"Answer my questions...And don't you dare answer with a question!" Braeden's patience was already low from having to breathe in this air, and Mika's taunting wasn't helping.

"....No." Mika looked at this man up and down. Tsk, why do I need to answer your questions?

"What?"

"What?" Mika looked at a little confused.

"Did you just say 'no' to me?"

"Yes."

Braeden bent down to Mika's height and stared directly into her eyes.

"Do you know who I am...?"

"Tsk! Do you know who I am!" Mika put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side.

*Sigh* "I am best-friend, second-in-command battle-ax general....of Prince Ailwin's army." Braeden waited for his ident.i.ty to scare Mika into being obedient.

"So? You want an award?" Mika smirked.

"No...thats not what I'm saying...*sigh*...listen here, I ask the questions you answer, okay?"

"Okay."

"Who are you?" Braeden was relieved he was finally getting somewhere.

"Mika," Mika answered honestly, getting tired to the little game she was playing with him.

"Mika, why did you come into this city?"

"To find this tree."

"How did you know about this tree and this cavern?"

"Lucky guess."

"Lucky guess...?" Braeden didn't believe it one bit.

"We heard you talking to someone who was it? I didn't see anybody else around you."

"Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not here..." Mika said solemnly.

Braeden quickly stepped away from Mika, as he looked around the cavern cautiously.

His men, who also watch Mika talk to herself heard what she said, and couldn't stop the hairs raising from the back of their necks.