"Yes," I tried to get up but my knees were too weak so I fell back. Prince Marcus helped me up. He signaled the barbarians to help Conrad and Connor. Two men assisted each of them. Prince Marcus assisted me to stand up. "Can you walk?" He asked. "Yeah," I answered. "Good," he smiled."I didn't know that we will meet again. And you save me again. Thank you, Marcus," I told him."It's my duty," he turned to the barbarians. "We'll take them to Manhakan, they must rest before continuing their journey."The barbarians obediently followed his order. "Do you know them?" I asked him."Yes I do," he nodded. "They are allies. Don't worry, they won't harm you again," he assured me.Connor who was very much wounded approached us while being assisted by two barbarians on each of his arms. "Prince Marcus," he greeted the man in a cold tone."Do you guys know each other?" I exchanged glances

Early morning at Manhakan Village. The people have woken up and started doing their works. I am already wide awake and I can hear their commotion outside the house. I rose from the bed and yawned. The two men are still asleep. I smoothen my clothes and walked near them. "Connor," I shook his shoulder lightly. "Hey, wake up man," I continued shaking his shoulder until he opened his eyes. "Good morning, my lady," he greeted me in a husky morning voice. "Good morning too, Connor. Get up now, we still have to travel," I reminded him."Alright," he stretched his arms and yawned before getting up. "Conrad," he woke his brother up. "Hey, brother," he shook his shoulders strong enough to wake the man up. "Hmmm," Conrad murmured. "I'm already awake. Stop shaking me now," he slapped his brother's hand who keeps on shaking him. "Alright, stand up now." Connor laughed and smacked him lightly on the shoulder."Ouch!"

Akira opened her eyes. She felt better now. She sat down and noticed that they are not in the same place where they have fallen asleep. She turned her head around and realized that they are now near the portal. This puzzled her."Did someone bring us here?" She asked in her mind. "What a dumb question, of course, there is. We won't be here if no one brought us here," she scolded herself.Shortly, the two men have also wakened up. They are touching their temples and slightly massaging them. "Ouch," Conrad moaned in a low tone. "I think we've been asleep long enough," Connor said. "Wait, why are we here already?" He was surprised to see where they are."I don't know," Akira stood up. "We were already here when I woke up. Probably someone brought us here," she said. "Somebody is watching us," Conrad said in a whispering voice and slowly got up. "Could it be that they were the ones who brought us here?

After eating the meal, we readied for our journey going back to Ehtrehto Edis. "Can I go to the Brown's home first?" I asked permission from my comrades. I want to see my human family for I might not be able to return."Go ahead," Hunter said. "Thanks, Hunter," I stood up."Do you want me to accompany you?" Connor offered me."No need, Connor," I smiled at him. "I don't want my grannies to interrogate me. I'm afraid, you might be mistaken as my boyfriend," I told him. "Am I not your boyfriend?" He furrowed his brows. "I want to ---."Hunter snorted. Greg grinned. "Shut up, Connor," Conrad quieted him. "Go ahead, Akira. Don't mind my silly brother," he smiled at me.I nodded. "I won't be long," I said and disappeared.***Brown's MansionI appeared in the living room. No one is here in these hours. I can hear the maids in the kitchen who are busy preparing for lunch. My grannies

"So much for that, let's get moving," Hunter chuckled. He can sense that Greg is not comfortable with the conversation anymore. "Fine, let's talk about Greg and Sherika's wedding when we get to the castle," Connor winked at the young man and started cueing his horse forward.Their horses started to gallop into the next village. A few minutes later, they were entering the entrance of the next village. Some strands of their hair sprang up as they saw the horrible scenario in front of their eyes. "This is even worse than in the first village," Conrad clenched his fist and jumped off his horse. "Let's look for some survivors," Hunter instructed them.They tied their horses on the fences and searched around. They went to every household and corner. "Have you found any?" Connor asked his companions when they meet at the center of the village. "I've found no one," Conrad reported. "No one is left br