Mercy & Fire

4. Like a Passing Mist

I shifted my gaze to Bellfire firmly, "Help me find her."

He nodded and wandered off as I looked in the near vicinity. I knew she had gone to see the fruit vendors, so I approached the fruit stand and looked to the old couple sitting behind the table. An older man and his wife greeted me with polite smiles, "Anything you'd like?"

"Actually, I was wondering whether you saw where my friend has gone. She was here in a white dress a second ago but I can't seem to find her."

They looked at each other in thought, "I don't think we've seen her since she stopped by."

I smiled and thanked them before turning and placing my hands on my hips. Roselena was a smart girl, so I doubted she wandered very far at all. Maybe she had gone back home without telling me. She didn't like events like these very much anyway, but... surely, she would have told me. It was unlike her to leave just like that.

And then the deep base of drums sounding in the distance began to vibrate the ground, making all the music and chatter go dead silent.

I froze, seeing everyone look at each other in confusion and alertness.

An arrow shot across the air and sliced clean through someone's chest. I covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming and dropped to the ground, immediately crawling as the others started to scream and run in every which way. If I could just get to the house, I would be okay. That was all I could think.

Then Roselena's innocent gaze flashed through my mind and I grit my teeth. I couldn't allow anything to happen to her. Not when she saved my life all those years ago. I had lived through something like this before, and I could do it again. But Roselena... She was so soft hearted. She wouldn't last a day if she were caught.

I heard the coughs of the boy who had gone down first and felt my heart expand.

I crawled to his languishing figure and drew near to him, offering him comfort.

He was a young boy, maybe 14 or 15 years old, meaning this was his first Sun Harvest Festival. He had blood dripping down the edge of his mouth down to his neck and onto the floor. He was struggling to breathe, choking on his own blood and shaking in fear. His chest only puffed in short bursts.

I gripped his hand and smiled, "Hi there. What's your name?"

"Aronaeous." He managed to rasp out.

I smiled as his eyes trailed over my face. I thought that if he could, he would've blushed. I tended to have that kind of effect on boys. My looks paired with my naivety was what got me the reputation I had. But this boy didn't know who I was, so I would be the virtuous beauty who held his hand to the very end.

"Well, Aronaeous, I am Adelia, and I will stay with you, okay?"

He nodded like a child and weakly gripped my hand. I laid flat like him and turned my face toward him, even as others ran and cried. Some people tripped over us, but most of them avoided us in their path.

Even as fires spread on the trees, and the sound of clanging metal sounded, I comforted him, because there was nothing else I could do.

I could only offer him my hope while I myself hoped that I would be reunited with Roselena. When we were both arrested, I would cooperate and teach her to cooperate as well. That's all women can do in the face of iron clad men of invading governments. That's what my mother did to spare me.

I could see tears rolling down his face as his chest rose and fell in an arrhythmic fashion.

I reached with my other hand and wiped them before turning my face toward the sky.