The Reincarnation

Chapter 5

"You two are already seated? Wait for me!" Fern climbs with ease onto her white stallion.

"Let's go."

The horse suddenly moves and I scream with a mixture of shock, surprise, anxiety and fear. I have never sat on a horse before so this whole first experience feels surreal to me. I grab tightly onto Gaylen as we gallop away.

Fern smiles as she rides beside us on her horse. This must be normal for her since she looks at ease as she pulls on the horse's reins.

It feels like hours has passed when we finally arrive at the nearby town.

"It's only been thirty minutes Carmella." Gaylen laughs as he casually jumps off the horse. "Aren't you getting off?" He asks, staring up at me.

"H-how...?" I ask in embarrassment. I won't be able to jump off such a huge animal.

Fern climbs off hers and walks to Gaylen who is staring at me. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to come down Car?"

I probably look like an idiot but the truth is, I have never sat on a real horse before. Gaylen smiles suddenly and holds out his hand. I stare at it for a few minutes. What is he doing?

"Hey, my arm is starting to hurt. Aren't you going to take my hand?" He says.

"Ah, you wanted me to hold your hand." I finally understand.

"It not like I want you to h-hold it or anything. I'm just helping an idiot." He mutters, looking away as I grab his hand and eventually climb off the horse.

"What's wrong?" I ask as he ignores me and starts walking ahead.

"Nothing!" He says loudly.

I blink and stare at Fern in confusion. "Your brother is strange. Do you know why he is angry?"

She shrugs, "I know he's hard to understand but I don't think he is angry at you Car. Don't worry."

"Worry? Who's worried? I'm only worried about you." I say quickly.

Fern smiles and grabs my arm as we walk. "Thank you Carmella. I feel like we were fated to meet."

I smile at Fern as she nestles into me as we walk. She's like the younger sister I never had.

As we walk pass the shops, I keep an eye out for any bookshop or library which might be here. Maybe I might find a book about transmigration? If I can find out how to return to my original world, I'll be able to leave here. But do I really want to return to a place where I don't know if I am already dead or in serious condition?

If I have been blessed to relive my life here, should I stay and live as I wish? I won't have to worry about bills and rent since I have a place at the Davici's. It's not like I have a mission or any goal to fulfill on behalf of someone else because I woke up in my original body. I'm not sure how or why.

"...what about this one? What do you think Car?"

I glance at Fern who is stood in front of a jewellery stall. I didn't realise she was trying on a bracelet. The blue sapphire embedded into the bracelet compliments her eyes. 

"It's pretty and suits you." I say. My eyes drift to a pair of ruby earrings on the stall. They look gorgeous but I don't have any money to buy them.

"I'll buy them then!" Fern smiles and pays the shopkeeper.

We continue walking down the street. Fern suddenly stops and I bump into her.

"Sorry Fern. What's wrong?" I ask in concern.

Her eyes are wide as she turns to look back at me. "There's a fight."

I step ahead of Fern and sure enough, there are a bunch of hooligans fighting around the corner. As I watch, I realise that the main target is a small child who is wearing torn rags and covered in dirt and scratches. How dare they beat up a defenceless child?

"Wait Car, where are you going?" Fern whispers as I run towards the fight.

As I step into the fight, all the eyes draw towards me. I kick a few of the men out of the way and stand in front of the weeping child. He looks severely bruised and beaten. 

"Who are you? What do you think you're doing?!" One of the men spit.

I glare at him, "I should be the one asking you that. How dare you bully a child!"

"What I do is none of your business lass!" He sneers, "You would fetch a good price on the market."

"I'm not selling myself." I say angrily. Is it legal to traffick humans here?

"Then, no one will care if you die." The man suddenly lunges at me with a knife.

Fortunately, my reflexes are pretty fast so I dodge the blade in time and grab his arms, using all my strength to lock them behind him until the knife drops from his grasp. After, I have made sure he doesn't have any other hidden weapons, I kick his shin and punch him until he starts begging for mercy.

"St-stop! Please stop!" I ignore him and kick him again as he wriggles on the ground like an earthworm. My blood is boiling.

I hear a gasp from behind me and then the familiar voice, "Car! Stop! You'll kill him!"

Fern's panicking voice brings me back to my senses and I step away from the bleeding man.

My hands are trembling and I try to steady myself. I've never beaten up someone in real life, let alone this badly. I've only fought in stunts for action films.

"Are you okay?" I ask the young boy who is curled up on the side.

His eyes are wide as he stares at me and shakes his head.

"Where are your parents?" I ask him.

"I don't have any." He says quietly.

"What about relatives? Aunts, uncles, cousins?"

"No." He shakes his head sadly.

"You've got beaten pretty badly. Come with me and we will call a doctor to check your injuries." I say with a gentle smile.

"Car, come here." Fern beckons me towards her. "Where will you take him?"

"Back to the mansion. He has alot of injuries so we should get a doctor to check."

"What are you? A guardian angel?" 

I roll my eyes as I hear a scoff.

"What's wrong with helping a child?" I retort, glaring at Gaylen who walks towards us.

"Will you be able to help all of them? Will you be able to help him if he gets injured again?" Gaylen says seriously. "If not, don't give them any hope to begin with."

"What? So you're telling me to let them get hurt? I can't do that! Even if it's only for now but what's so wrong in helping someone?" I say indignantly. "Do you even have a heart? I can't believe you're Fern's real brother."

I watch as his jaws clench, "I just don't have a heart for you." He says coldly. "Fine. Do whatever you wish." He turns on his heels and walks away.

I glance at Fern and she shakes her head. "What a drama queen."

"Let's go back." I take the injured child's hand, "Where's Gaylen?"

Fern walks along with us until we reach the two horses who are waiting patiently. "My brother has probably gone for a drink with his friends."

I gasp, "He has friends?!"

She laughs, "You really dislike him Car."

"It's his own fault for being so annoying." I admit. I stare at the horse which Gaylen had brought me on. "I still don't know how to ride a horse." I stare at the young boy who is shivering. "Fern, please take this child back with you first and call a doctor to tend to his wounds."

"What about you Car?"

"It's fine. I'll wait for your brother and return with him." I smile.

Fern leans her mouth to my ear and whispers, "Go to the Flower Garden. My brother and his friends spend alot of time there."

"Have a safe journey!" I wave as Fern and the young boy head off on her horse. It's going to be a long day.