"THE next time I hear you going after those women in Kozania, you will have your horns removed," I threatened him. I know that it is an insult and shame on their kind to have their horns removed and I would never hold back again once he angers me and repeats his wrongdoings. The next time we meet, will also be the last.
I stood and got back to my comrades but his words stopped me.
"You think I'm gonna follow what you're blabbering out here? I will capture who I wanna capture because they are weak and have no leader to protect them. Like your kind."
I frowned at what he said. Once again, I come to where he is now standing, still struggling because of the injuries I gave him.
"Me. I will be the one who will save every citizen of Kozania. Those who perish on your hands, a disgusting man like you," I said in gritted teeth and gave him a hard blow of a punch in the face that made him unconscious. He fell to the ground.
I sighed. A long and deep one to relieve my growing wrath because of what he just said. Truths are really hard to swallow.
Kozania is one of the three kingdoms that fell after the war. The war that is ignited because of greed. They all want power and the throne. But that is not a valid reason to kill us. Normal citizens like us have rights too. We have rights to live freely in the hands of scums like them, the cruel Losairon. In this world, people should have a taste of freedom, a chance to defend ourselves and our kind.
"I have no reason to have you alive if not for your purpose in the future," I muttered under my breath while glaring at his unconscious body lying on the floor.
I fastly got back to my comrades using my agility. The enemies are all done and the women are being freed by Matias and Suri from the chains that bind them.
"Safe! The women are safe!" said Vivi while settling to my left shoulder.
"We are raiding the auction," I unconsciously told them. With his head nearly falling, Matias looked at my direction rapidly. Wondering if I am being serious or not. Well, he should. That auction is highly guarded. Full of creatures with extraordinary powers. They are monsters. It is suicide.
"You are not being serious, right? We are not capable and you know it, Aliara. They are far more powerful than all of us combined. And the visitors, you forgot them or something?"
"We can, Matias. We can take them down if we have the right plan," I said persuading them. "And one more thing, we have the strength. Just have to train it more. We have a chance. I know we can do it."
Palming his head while he shook it, he walked in circles in front of me, feeling restless. Feels like he is thinking deeply. I watched him until he stopped and stared at me for a moment. Seems to me that he is contemplating the odds and our advantages. Our comrades are just waiting for us to decide.
"Alright, they ready for morning body aches?" he said pertaining to the men staring at us, our comrades. I just nodded to him while eyeing each one of them to see if there was any disagreement with my decision.
I will never let anyone from Kozania be captured. To be sold again to those inhuman nobles and royals who felt bored of their fortune and decided to spend it the wrong way. We are long gone past that. We are never going to suffer on their hands again. It is time we stand up and go against them. Time for a change. I cannot swallow any of this anymore. I will start with taking down the auction and bar that Dardo has been so proud of.
"We are going to do our plan on the next full moon," I announced full of determination, watching the gleaming moon above us. They all shared a stare and eventually nodded to us as a sign of agreement.
"On the full moon! On the full moon!" Vivi said while flying around my head countless times. I lift my arm and let him settle there.
Indeed, Vivi. Let us attack them on the full moon. We will slowly eradicate the cruelty of this kingdom.
IT IS early in the morning when we have finally arrived at our lair, which is near the center of Kozania. We were welcomed by more of our comrades. Hurisa hurriedly came to my way briskly as she saw me, the oldest of us, and the one who watched me grow.
We are ages apart yet our looks differ only in the slightest like we are of the same age. The time that we set foot here on Exo Losairos, at the age of eighteen, aging will be slower than usual. Even if you reach hundreds of years, wrinkles on the skin will come slower.
"How was your trip, Aliara?" She held my hand to assist me down the horse, one of the two horses from the Vendantes we brought home.
"We saved the women from them yet they do not want to come here," I reported.
Sighing as I toured my eyes around my comrades who were happily welcomed by their family. Exhaust is visible on them, all of us were, but the joy of coming home is still dominating on their smiles. "I did not convince them to come. There is nothing to do here. Even our resources are still insufficient for all of us. We were all going to starve if we have not enough fortune," I sighed again as I looked at her.
"Do not be too hard on yourself and think of those problems alone, Aliara. I am positive that they have chosen the right path for themselves." She looked at our comrades. "Many of our kind were working hard to make a living. For their family."
"But it is still lacking, Hurisa. The lands in Kozania were almost dead. Almost. How can we live like that? Are you not worried about the future?" Maybe if the lands here are still bountiful, they do not need to go outside Kozania to work. We can live off farming and planting but no, in this state, we have to work harder than others to earn money and buy food from the neighboring kingdoms. In addition to that, there is no one here that has a power to liven up the lands. To give life to it and be useful again for crops and other plants.
"Someday, Aliara, our kingdom will rise again. I assure you," she told me as if to guarantee that the near future will be for us. She held my arms and gently smiled at me.
"And I will make sure to make it happen, Hurisa," I said, determined. I moved my sight again to our little town and shifted my attention to Hurisa. I got the bag of coined silver and gold, which came from Dardo, from my waist and gave it to her. "Use this to buy the food that will be distributed to all of them."
She smiled as she happily received the bag of money and then nodded. The food that will be given to them was supposed to last a few days in the least on that one bag of money. That is enough to get us by for a little while.
"Miss!" With smiles on their faces, the children who were playing around approached me. They gave me the only remaining kind of flower that the land of Kozania can retain. This flower is pretty rare considering the dying land of this kingdom. There are also trees which cannot bear any fruits. This land has no hope. For now.
"THANK YOU. You really do not have to," I told them, patting their heads while I received their flowers with glee. I nodded as a bid of farewell when Hurisa held my shoulders."That was nothing big compared to what you do for us, Miss. If not for you, all of us may have been suffering up until now just to have little food to survive on a daily basis." The oldest of the children aged eight as she spoke to me and I wondered a bit because she did not speak that way when I last saw her."You are too young to speak of something like that. You were supposed to just play and enjoy life. Do not think of anything that is not of your concern," I said with a smile on my lips. They just nodded as if they understood what I just said."That is just fine, I guess. Let them be aware of the things that are happening around them," Adrina said, springing like a wild sprout beside me. I wanted to hit her in the head because of what she uttered but I just glared at her hoping
INSTEAD OF continuing the battle between me and Matias, I shifted my attention to Adrina and to her remarks."And why are you observing us, by the way? Did I not tell you off to just play with children like you?" I said as I slid my sword to its shaft.She shifted her gaze to the children playing not far from us and mockingly looked back at me. "Did I not tell you too that I am too old to play with those kids?" she said sarcastically.My forehead knotted on what she said, stopping myself from getting irritated at her attitude. "Tell me, who is older than the two of us? You should listen to me, who is older than you, as a matter of fact.""Age is the only superior thing you have on me, Aliara," she said with weight, not really giving up the game.That made my forehead knot more. "And what do you mean by that?""I want to train too. I want to be able to fight like you," she said with finality in her voice that shook me."Why do you want
I SHIFTED my gaze towards the falls, "Yes."I started walking back to our hideout but stopped because he suddenly held my arm."You are the reason why I went all the way here, actually. I saw your pet, asked and he pointed out that you are here so I went uninvited," he said in a serious voice while his eyes are all on me. I do not want to believe him because Vivi denied his claim but my forehead formed a knot, wondering."And why do you want to see me, Mister?" I stopped when I realized why. "Are you still chasing me for picking a deep pocket I did a while back?" I asked in amazement.His face turned more serious, removing his hold on my arm. "I did not come here for that offense but for the crime you did to me, Miss," he said emphatically.My eyes narrowed at his words. "I do not remember doing anything wrong with you, Mister."This immediately planted a grin on his handsome face, seems to remember something I have no idea what is. "Then le
"WHAT DID you just say? Your dear mister? Do you adore him more than me now, Vivi?" I said with much anger laced on my voice. Is that why he did not want to get away from his arms earlier? "I love you more! I love you more!" His gaze shifted from one place to another, not sure what his next move was. To stay on my shoulder or to go away. "Why call him your dear tister, then?" I asked, my frown grew bigger when I was answered with silence. "If you love him more than me, go ahead and go to him. To your fool of a mister. Ido not give a damn!" I said as I dismissed him on my shoulder signaling for him to go. I rolled my eyes when he flew away and got lost from my sight. He did not even say a word. The audacity of that bird. "If you really go to him, I will make sure to tangle up your bones altogether. Hmmp!" I irritantly said while I slipped the pouch back to where I hid it and walked back to the hideout. "You were gone longer than you ever did, I t
"ADRINA," I called as I walked near them to catch her attention that she immediately gave to me. "Rest for now, Hamil," I said facing Hamil. He gave me a nod and went to the other who was training.I gave Adrina the cup of water I was holding."Thank you, Miss," she gratefully said. I just looked at her while she drank the water I gave in one go."Let us reschedule going to the market for tomorrow. You have been busy all day and I know that you are tired from all that training.""Good to know that, it was almost evening. The sun is setting at any moment now," she muttered under her labored breath after gulping the water.I just nodded at her and got the cup."Do not push yourself in training too hard, it will take a long time before you learn the things you have to," I said to her and she gave me a frown in return."But it was exactly eighteen days before the next full moon, the night of your attack," she uttered. Now, it was my t
LATER ON, they stare at each other and laugh ever so loudly. Seeming to know the answer they wanted to know just seconds ago, two of them gathered around me. "I wonder what it is that made your face as red as ripe tomatoes, Miss?" said one of them. She was talking to them but felt like that one question was for me, teasing. "Indeed. Perhaps what happened between the two of them was a beautiful thing," said the other one. "Maybe his lips and hers met." "Or maybe more." My forehead creased, not liking where the conversation was going. "No! It was just a kiss, mermaids," I defended but quickly covered my own mouth. I spilled too much. Because of what I did, they eyed each other again and laughed harder than they did earlier, almost choking. I just frown at what they are doing. I am beyond annoyed by these mermaids, they did not deserve the name. It should be sirens. Sirens are evil according to the myths. It sounded better. Sh
"WHY ARE you silent? You were not like that when we first met. I was talking to you but I did not receive a single response from you," he complained, glancing at the surroundings because the fireflies are starting to get active.I hid at the tree fearing that he would catch me for no particular reason."If only she was here, she would see how beautiful these little fireflies were. I wanted to see her lovely smile, her sparkling eyes and her reddened cheeks bathed in this wonderful scenery," he said with amusement evident in his voice.I was stunned for a moment by what I heard, my hand reaching for my ramming heart inside my chest. My heart was rejoicing. Rejoicing for what? Why am I feeling like this? Is this the right thing?"I really like her so much, bird. She was the only woman who made me feel like this, too much adoration. I can never remove her from my mind now."I bit my lower lip and gradually peered at him. He was just staring at nothing
"I am not a thief. How many times should I tell you that for you to understand, Miss?" said Adrina. It sounds sarcastic but that is her normal way of speaking. The angry lady was now furious because of what she said. Considering the age gap, the lady must have been offended."Fool! You have no right to answer a noble like me. Your tongue is too sharp. I will make sure you are punished." The lady tried to put a finger again at her when I interrupted and flicked her hand."Did you see her touch any of your belongings for you to accuse her of thievery, Miss?" I said. She did not hesitate to show her annoyance at my intrusion."And who are you? Do you have my permission to intrude in this? Mere people have no claims here. I have no need for your opinion," she said, her voice laced with filth as she looked at my being from head to toe. I did not have my cloak with me so I am left with a blue humble clothing.I wanted to glare at her or at least roll my eyes be