After properly fixing themselves up with a bath and new clothes, they continued their journey slowly. They were more determined to arrive at Sabio to receive their answers, except for Liam.
War was looming overhead, and Lea was only initially after an underground leader. Her scope of suspicion increased, giving away a bloody trail on her feet. Her mind was at work when Duran broke her concentration. "Lea, what are you?"
His question so strange, the rest of the men waited with bated breathe, even Liam.
She pondered her answer only for a second and swiftly graced Duran with her ruby eyes. "I believe I am human. But you could say I am not."
Confused by her words, Nia was unusually the one to question. "You mean you weren't brought into existence normally, right? Which leaves me to think back on your words concerning the Spirit who gave birth to you..."
She nodded in assent, pleased with Nia's thought process. "It seems I was born from a Spirit, but neither am I one of their kind."
Her words poetic, Liam was lost. However, Duran understood her meaning, and so did Nia.
"Even if you were born normally, I don't think you'd turn out any different." His voice gentle, there was no hint of malice to it. However, his words received a frown from Liam more than the others. He turned to meet Liam's magenta eyes only to express an understanding smile.
"She is very capable." Izaya shrugged, receiving a proud nod from Seth who was dragging the soldier by his leg.
Lea ignored their short moment of understanding to her existence and continued her lead on their march.
There were many questions that the men wanted answers, but for now, they all thought following Lea was the right choice. Time will enlighten them when it was determined to be so.
"Any information from him yet, Seth?" Inquired Lea, not sparing a glance to her back.
To her query, Seth dutifully replied, "Only that the King wants to unify all nations by force."
"Keep at it."
"Understood."
Izaya and Duran were truly amazed at how Lea and Seth interacted. It seemed they were two beings as one. But how they were able to do it, they couldn't begin to fathom.
Then they refocused their attention to what was to come.
Liam on the other hand was left to stare at Lea's side profile, his thoughts so deep and unreadable.
-------------------------
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After travelling with ease for over 5 hours, Lea's group decided to refill their supply of food and water. She knew it was better to be constantly be prepared for the unknown while travelling in foreign lands. And she was starting to notice how there were less and less vegetation in their surroundings.
A map was already established in her mind. The last fresh water they encountered were miles away. She speculated that there would come a point when they will no longer find any source of life at all. Although she was mostly trained in jungles and different conditions of wilderness, she did not miss the opportunity to study other environmental inconveniences. The Survival books she engulfed in her childhood were not in vain.
"Seth, guard this area with Izaya and Duran." At her words, Seth was about to protest, but when he looked onto her ruby eyes, no words came out of his mouth. Akin to instinct, he knew then that Lea had something in her sleeve. Without her elaborating her thoughts, he understood it was something worthwhile to comply over. "I understand. Then please, be careful."
She nodded in assent, dragging Nia and Liam behind her. But before she completely disappeared in sight, her voice rang to the others, "Make that soldier useful." This indicated Seth and Duran's activities as they wait for her return. They were to extract information from the soldier however they liked. Izaya missed the meaning behind her words and was only left to turn his head towards the pitiful soldier.
• • •
Moving 3 kilometers away from the first group, Lea and co. abruptly stopped in front of a huge tree. Confused, Nia and Liam looked on her small back. They once again realized that she was only 15 years old, but more than able to handle her ground in any sort of danger. She was born a fighter, her future prospect unfathonable.
"What do you two know about the continent Ingrid?" Her sudden question brought the other two into reality once again.
Nia was the first to answer, "I have heard that it is a land once protected by the Goddess Ingrid."
"Then let me rephrase my question, aside from Ingrid, do you know of any other land?"
Almost instantly, Nia understood her meaning, leaving Liam behind by his own thoughts. "Sabrina?" He guessed as there were twin Goddesses always being repeatedly told from one generation to another. Their mythical existence brought the world peace and harmony until chaos roused the two blood sisters to a Great War. The books stated Sabrina won, but Ingrid was spared thanks to the former's malevolence. However, Ingrid died heroically protecting her people, which made her become a precious symbol by other groups. The world divided into two; continents Sabrina and Ingrid cut their ties, with Sabrina gaining the benefits of the war.
Sabrina prospered, while Ingrid remained indigenous to traditional practicalities, which affected their education and civilization. This led Ingrid to be less prone to conflict, but as hundreds of years led them much greed for territory and personal gains, occasional skirmishes within the land would arise. These skirmishes led 3 nations to be formally established, making its mark that the strong can govern a piece of land. Escarcha was not desired by many as it was a location that was very cold all year round. While Solitario Isle was agreed to be left alone by those with authority due to its mysteries that nobody seemed to find out. Anyone who dared never returned.
"We are heading to Sabio to purge any intentions of War. I will meet the King, and you shall help me in achieving that Nia."
"W-w-what...? How...?" He was rather reluctant to Lea's intentions.
"You'll help me get through security checks, then I'll do the rest of the work."
"D-D-Don't tell me... V-v-violence... K-KILL?!"
"I would choose not to if I had any other choice."
"Elaborate... please."
Sighing at Nia's desperate appearance, Lea resigned herself to a long explanation.
"If you can get me to him, we could avoid involving innocent people. You have seen what his soldiers are capable of." To her words, Nia silently nodded his head. She continued. "The King is prepared to kill just about anyone who shows the intention of opposition. He is intent on taking the whole of Ingrid by force. And in the end, where does that leave you?"
Her quiery unexpected, Nia was left to shift his focus. Yet he could not say anything.
"You will once again be captured and be used for more cruel intentions. It's no longer a matter of turning humans to beasts, but would involve the harmony of this world with the Spirits. And you have a gist of what would happen without the support of different Spirits. They live in harmony with the essences of this world. They are powerful enough to create dimensional rifts. They are the embodiment of this world itself. It's no longer just about Ingrid anymore."
Her voice stone cold, Nia felt his throat dry. He did not look beyond his King's commands. He was always resigned to his fate of being a dog to the throne. "But why would you do so much for a world you were never a part of?" He asked unconsciously, covering his mouth too late.
"I want to see a thought become a reality." Her ruby eyes looked distant as she spoke her words, causing Nia to feel mesmerized at her delicate appearance.
"That is one hell of a process to test your frivolous idea." Liam offhandedly said as he looked into Lea's eyes. "You will be changing a whole a lot of things if you interfere merely due to your curiosity. Just leave the damn King and his nation alone."
Nia abruptly glanced his mismatched irises towards Liam's sturdy frame, then to Lea whose face unreadable as usual.
"I have a dream since I came here."
Her response unexpected, Liam widened his eyes. "..That's strange."
She expressed a smile so soft, and focused her ruby eyes onto his gaze. "A world where I have nothing, I have full intention to explore every land to find my purpose."
"Sounds like a grand plan to me, but you don't have to lift a finger against a nation just because of that."
"You might be right, but constantly living every day with the thought that somewhere out there I could have saved many lives, I can guarantee I will never sleep comfortably." She was now looking rather forlorn, which Liam found strange in all his expectations of her reactions.
"You are not a hero."
"I don't have to become one to change the tide of the land."
Confused by her words, Liam couldn't help but request to be enlightened.
"If nobody knows of my involvement, I will never be recognized as a hero."
".............."
Her smile so genuine, her ruby eyes glittered with brilliance. Liam was starting to understand what kind of person Lea was.
She was selfish, spontaneous and simply curious. "You plan to silence the war out of sight."
His words rang a bell of realization into Nia's mind.
In response, Lea simply shrugged. "You have visited Sabio before, yes?"
"During my earlier years as a mercenary. Why?"
"I want you to help me find a man."
Although he was guaranteed to accept her request as her voice expressed command, Liam wondered what sort of ill omen her target will have to experience as she would reach out her claws on him. With a sigh, Liam closed his magenta eyes and replied, "Fine."
His response made her smile widen, revealing mirth in her ruby eyes. Her mind full of schemes for a bloody chase.
As if in accordance to her thoughts, Nia and Liam felt a sharp cold run down their spine. Their gaze focused on Lea's unusually delighted face, improving her beauty all the more.
But Liam had half a wit to not be so taken by her change of expression. He spent more than enough time with her to know she was up to nothing good when she acted eager. On the contrary, Nia was left curious to what kind of person Lea truly was.
She picked him up for her cause.
She healed him up with the basis of testing her theory.
Her intentions aligned with his desire for freedom.
She was commanding, but never did she lift a finger on him.
She was stern, but she never harmed any of them (except for Liam).
Her words honest.
Her desires to the world unveiled.
She was a master of herself, and she holds her fate stern in her hands.
He could see her ruby eyes understanding whatever laid under their gaze.
He could see a heart full of concern for those she deems acceptable.
She was not a contradiction, but she was akin to Pandora's box.
Within, anything could lie.
Within, surprise always await its wake.
Nia's thoughts were suddenly disrupted by a sharp trumpet-like sound. To his surprise, instead of feeling alarmed, Lea suddenly looked delighted. Different sort of glee on her face than the previous one. Thus he looked to where her peripheral view was, only to feel frightened at the sight of a huge beasts that seemed so powerful with its majestic tusks.
"Hampsphant!" Lea gasped, walking fast towards the beast.
Liam and Nia were left with their mouth agape.
Lea was now running towards the beast with outstretched arms, ready for a big hug.
And although the beast showed discontent at first, it eventually turned soft and covered the remaining distance towards Lea with a swift stride.
She looked into Hamsphant's obsidian orbs, and could understand how disappointed and mad it was that she suddenly left him alone. "I'm sorry..." She quietly said, which surprised Liam and Nia. A thought briefly passed through their mind, "Did she just communicate with the beast?"
As if answering their internal query, Hamsphant stretched its long trunk to wrap Lea into an embrace to express its big heart.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Hamsphant had become much stronger than the last it appeared. Its gender remain unknown.