(ɴᴏ ᴇᴅɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ʏᴇᴛ.)
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• Desert Arc •
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Chapter 5: Desert Astray
~~~~~~~
There was fog everywhere
Darkness hovers between the balance of the sunlit sky and the hazy dim surroundings where even the strongest eyesight can't peer through.
Everywhere I look was just that thick curtain of fog with only the sun gazing bright above me. No clouds. No birds. Not a sign of life anywhere.
When I close my eyes, I can only hear the howling of the wind in my ears and feel the draft that passes through my feet; the dryness of it on my skin; and the warm of the atmosphere that embraces me.
Where am I???
Did I die again?
I began to drag my feet across the soft ground.
Everywhere I look depicts a barren land that stretches from all corners of my sight.
I look at my feet.
Wait a minute.
Is this... sand?
The soft ground where my feet burrows shallowly is sand after all and all the fog I am seeing are dusts from the wind that keeps blowing pass me.
I'm in a desert....
But still rather felt like being in limbo.
I went on walking, hoping to see something else aside from the vivid outline of the sun up high.
And then finally a shadow emanated from a distant.
"Hello??"
The howling wind slaps at me like a curtain, blowing strongly against me, I squinted.
"Hello?!"
Struggling to walking towards the figure, I dragged myself on until finally his silhouette takes form into a figure of a tall young man.
He was looking at me.
But not a sound emitted despite his moving lips.
A smile only left me staring.
I ran to him. "You...?" I reached a hand to him. He reaches a hand back.
"Who are you?"
The wind blew one more time and dusts gather like a hurricane forming between us. I tried to keep my eyes open wide. I wanted to comprehend what I'm seeing. His dark hair that shone against the blasting sunlight. And his eyes that stared back at me... it was peculiar yet soothing.
Who....
Wait—
~~~~~~~
...
I wearily opened my eyes and saw wooden parquet floor; my cheeks pressed against them.
My head is aching so bad.
I sat up slowly while trying not to shake my head too much. I looked around and realize Aeron was sitting beside me.
Oh thank god that was just a dream. I'm still alive.
"You're finally awake" he says in a sigh.
I focused my attention on him and finally realized his feet were tied up. I looked at mine...
I'm tied up too.
But they weren't ropes.
They were some kind of black material strap.
I groped at it, hoping there's something that can help me figure out how to open it.
"Give up. It's hopeless..." he murmured.
I looked at him as he glared at me with such scary looking eyes, "You... tell me the truth. You looked back and stopped, didn't you?"
Everything that had happen up until how I end up here suddenly flashes through my memories.
Those men in cloaks....
"Aeron, are you oka—?"
"I told you not to look back!?!" He yelled at me even before I could finish my sentence. "It was a simple instruction! Don't look back and just run! Now look what happened! Who is going to help us now?!"
I can see his eyes were filled with so much emotions.
I remember...
That scene—
Two men in cloak... carrying Aeron's unresponsive body. A small frail body of a boy...
My brother....
And there were blood spills by the doorway from the lifeless palace guards they killed.
That horrible, ugly, and mortifying scene.
I wanted to open my mouth and explain.
But surprisingly tears came gushing out of my eyes; my body began to shake violently as my heart races wildly against my chest, painfully.
Aeron's face suddenly shifts and looks at me in surprise. He purses his lips and then grit his teeth.
He turns his head away but pulls me into his arms.
"I'm sorry... I know this is not your fault. I'm not really mad at you. I'm just frustrated with myself." He says very calmly now, his hand gently stroking my head. "I know I can run faster but I can't leave you behind. I figured if we ran together, it will be easier to catch us both at the same time either way so I thought I could at least delay them and give you the headstart. It was a better chance for at least one of us to get out of that situation— it was the only way I could think of. Sorry if I made you go through that... so
—sorry for not being strong enough, Aerra"
I can feel his muscle tenses.
I shook my head and wiped my tears.
"I have my fair share of faults too. The moment my guards were missing, I should have figured it out that something wasn't right. I was careless. And I'm sorry really if I looked back..." I said, my voice felt weak.
What have we gotten ourselves into?
Even for my 18 years old self is no match in situations like this. I never had prior experience on getting kidnapped. In the end, I'm just an incapable weak little girl who can't fight back nor can I protect anyone. My powers nor Aeron's haven't awaken yet too so the only thing I can use now is my wits.
That's right...
I need to gather my wits now, more than ever.
"If only I'm stronger now. I could have protected you..." Aeron murmured, staring at his open palm before closing it into a fist. I lay a hand on that fist as he turned to look at me.
"We'll find a way out of this" I replied, trying to sound tough.
He looks at me as if studying what I really feel.
Satisfied, he nods.
I took a deep breath and began to assess the situation.
I took a look around us.
First... we're inside a wooden cell. No windows. No other furnitures. Both our feet are bound but our hands are free, and there's a collar around our neck that can't be taken off.
Outside the cell is a short hallway where a sconce drew enough light. At one end of the hallway is a a wooden door, the opposite end is just a wall.
In the inside, it all looked like a regular jail with the metal railings that partitioned the space between our cell with the hallway.
Nothing, I thought. There's nothing I could see to help us. I focused my attention on the restrictors that bound my feet together. It doesn't look metal. It actually looks fiber glass but stronger but there was no hole to open it with.
How to open this contraption, I wonder?
"We're in a ship" Aeron murmured, he might have realized how I was trying to gather information from looking around.
"A ship? As in an air ship or a water?"
"My best hunch is an airship" he replied, pointing at the sconce. "Those insects on the lamp" he begun as I turned to it and saw tiny black winged insects that resembles a butterfly but with four wings. The size of a coin. "They only eat a specific type of algae that grows usually in high altitude types of terrain. More or less an air ship's bottom parts can support those requirements"
"And if you listen carefully, the creaking below us sounds similar to when we rode airships back at Grantzæl."
I stared at Aeron, dumbfounded.
"The insects are weak against the sun rays so they usually only go out at night... they need warmth regardless so they stay close to a fire source instead." Aeron's fist clenches, "I think we're here for almost a day and a half already" he concluded.
What—
"You were out cold for a while... I had the chance to watch and study those insects by then..." he explains. "I've read about those insects in a book during our morning lectures on Herbology. I never really thought those useless lectures can be helpful after all"
I wanted to commend Aeron's brilliance but from what he's implying here is that we're currently miles and miles away from Grantzæl by now.
That means....
"Even if we do found a way out of this cell, there's no exact chances for us to escape from our captors, is there?" I murmured, my chest tightens. This situation is... dire.
"Unless we find a flying boat or animal of sort then there's none. Who knows how high we are soaring"
"Then we are...." I stopped. There's no point in admitting how hopeless we are now.
I watch Aeron as he just grabbed my hand. "Just stay close to me no matter what happens. I won't let anybody hurt you."
I squeezed his hand back. If he's planning to protect me then who will protect him?
I wish at least one of us can awaken our powers now....
But how though?
Our birthday is still six days away.
What will happen in that span of time by then?
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
Another day has passed.
When finally the door by the end of the hallway opens.
A hooded man walks to our cell and warns us,
"Just be good and no one gets hurt, ya got that?"
We nodded.
He opens our cell and stretches an arm at us.
Suddenly the black contractions broke apart. "Now follow me" he instructed. Is that magic???
Aeron insisted to walk ahead of me as I followed close from his behind.
Out from the cell and pass the hallway, and finally towards the open deck.
Aeron is right. We really were on an airship.
The sun blasted at my eyes the moment we stepped out from the shade, I squinted and tried to adjust as I looked around.
All I see are sandstone mountains that surrounds us. The grounds were all covered by thick blankets of sands. Even the dry winds gusting by carried sand as it blew pass us.
I remembered my dream.
I wonder what that was about?
A tall guy with dark hair— Levi?
I don't think I know anybody else with black hair.
"Now listen to me. If you follow the rules you will be given food and will be able to enjoy living another day. Hik hik hik!" the man laughs, he ushered us further while we stepped down from the airship and towards the hot sandy grounds.
One man in cloak led us as other two followed from behind. Before we could reach the entrance of some sort of ruins, which seems to be chiselled directly from the sandstones of the mountain, we halted.
This must be their lair, I thought.
I looked up and studied the structure. To my dismay I realized there wasn't any other egress to the ruins. No other holes aside from the tall but narrow entrance but there were carvings of what seems like windows to it but it didn't bear any function worthy to note. I suppose one way in also is the only way out.
There were also 2 men in cloaks that stood patrolling the highest cliff of the ruins on both sides.
The look outs, I presume.
As we stood waiting by the entrance, another man greeted us. "Welcome to our humble abode, your graces! We are the Ouboros. I prefer calling us as Dealers since we are all merchants here!" He says in such a shady tone I could sense the sarcasm in it.
Merchants? What kind of merchant kidnaps children? What a joke.
The other men in cloak soon left us with him when he swayed his hand at them.
This man before us might be their leader then.
I eyed him tentatively. He looked like he's around his late 40's. He had dark sun kissed skin and a tattoo under his leering eyes. He looks familiar. Where have I seen this man before?
"I've been expecting for your arrival! This is such a happy day! The name's Cerguz. From now on, Ouboros will be your home too until you bloom and show us your powe—!"
"Stray!!!"
"Stop him—!!!"
"He's heading your way!!?!"
Suddenly an uproar emerges and all men started to yell and shout in all directions.
What's happening?
"Damn that kid!" cursed Cerguz under his breath as he turned his back on us.
Slowly, I can feel the ground quaking. The sands vibrated under my feet. I looked at Aeron as he just stood there alarmed as well.
—BOOOOOOOM!!!!!
A cloud of smoke billowed out like a carpet from the main entrance of the ruins, covering us all in a rush. I closed my eyes. The entire ground shakes momentarily at the same time.
I can hear all men shouting from one side to another as if they were in pain—
As the dust screen slowly comes into a still, I can see shadows looming ahead. Some shadows are hurled like ragdolls toward the walls.
"Damn you, Stray!" Shouted someone as it echoed all throughout the vicinity.
Suddenly out from the dust screen, a guy emerges out from above with moving air that surrounds him, clearing the view, and making a path for him.
His entire face covered in cloth except his eyes. I watch him in astonishment as he hovers high above the ground.
His eyes, playing between the colors of dark purple and blue, that focused looking ahead suddenly shifts and met my gaze. My shoulder rose instinctively.
He sweeps his gaze away and refocused it to what's ahead, nonchalantly.
...
All the dust dissipated and men in cloak went straight towards him.
The guy finally lands on his feet, as graceful as a cat but even before his entire weight presses down, he swivels around at rapid speed at the exact same time as the men in cloak lounged at him. This them all flying away in just one swift motion.
Amazing—
he has... powers!
He stood up straight but lax while assessed the situation. No one was going after him anymore. All the men in cloaked were on the ground. Some unconscious by the walls.
He turns around and begun to run towards us.
"Move!!!" He yelled at us.
Before I could even dodge, he was already too close. He pushes me and Aeron aside as he sprinted off pass us. I fell to the ground, face first.
What the heck?
I glared at him but he already covered a distance.
"He's getting away!"
Ah. More bad guys are here.
Suddenly someone grabbed me by the arm and lifted my weight off the ground, my feet draping at midair. It pulled me up further, ascending upwards, until my eyes aligned with Cerguz's.
"Stray. I brought new kids. How about I show them immediately right now what happens when a rebel tries to escape?" he hollered.
The guy suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Without even facing us he replied, "Go ahead. I don't even know those kids"
Cerguz held me higher.
Darn it, this hurts!
I feel like my arm is going to rip off from my shoulders. I just bit my lips to conceal the pain, while trying to claw at his grip
"Aerra!?!" yelled out Aeron. "Unhand my sister!!!" planning to kick, he pulled a feet up to his side, but some other man in cloak held him down even before he could swing it. "Aerra!!! No! Let me go!"
Unbothered by Aeron, Cerguz hollers at the guy they call Stray. "Are you sure now? Because I only need one Arcanian kid. I have two right now. I don't mind losing one if you insist." His lips morphed into a smug as he grabbed my cheeks and squeezed it. "The death toll will increase because of you, Stray. Pity. After this I might as well clean my current shelf again and get a new batch of kids. All will be attributed to you, of course! And I'll make sure they will all know that." he concluded, letting my cheek go as he tightens his grip on my arm instead.
There was silence.
Cerguz seems like someone who can seriously kill anyone if he wants to.... But if I don't do something now, I feel like my shoulder will be dislocated soon. And the guy called Stray, is not doing anything at all. Fuck this.
I swayed my body to and fro, building my momentum as Cerguz who held me by an arm shifted his attention at me. "What the—!?"
When I gathered enough momentum I reached for Cerguz's arm using my legs and locked them in place. And then I embraced his arm and hanged on to him like a koala.
Surprised his grip loosens.
An opening!
I opened my mouth wide and as tight as I could, I bit him. He yelps in shock and shakes me off.
I fell to the ground.
I looked at Aeron as his head was planted on the ground by a man in cloak. I need to extricate him.
Without a second thought, I pushed myself up to my feet and sprinted towards the man that straddled on Aeron, pinning him down in place.
I pulled at the cloak that covered him, exposing his back and jabbed a kick at his crotch.
He yelps in pain, rolling on the side as Aeron immediately stood up and took me in a corner, covering me from the safety of his back.
All the other men in cloak begun to surround us. "Feisty little girl, aren't you? More reasons why I wouldn't want to add another headache in the bunch, like Stray here." Says Cerguz in a chuckle, shortly pointing at Stray who stood idly from a distance, but now facing us. "Good thing your brother is not the same. Let's clip a wing off these angels, shall we? Get her!"
Aeron planted his feet down. In a grunt he yelled, "Over my dead body!"
All of a sudden...
The wind blew wild around us and in a form of a vacuum it slices a space between the men from us. "Enough! —I yield. Quit shitting around! You won't get their cooperation now if you killed one of them." hollered Stray, as he started to walk back towards us. He began taking off the cloth that wrapped around his head. "Just do what you want to do with me and get it over with."
All of them exchanged glances.
Cerguz heaves a sigh. "Just get them all inside. Take Stray to my quarters." says he as he sways his hand and started to walk away in peace.
I watch the guy called Stray as the final piece of cloth finally uncovers his face. He has a short black hair that drapes loosely from his ears up to his neck and a long, eye-grazing bangs that tapered on the sides but some are side-swept, along with its fringe ends, over all it all seems disheveled.
He tousles his own hair as he walked closer to us. It drapes loosely covering his nape while some strands loitered on his face.
His eyes glared back impassively as I eyed him.
Brilliant amethyst eyes.
Jasper black hair.
I have heard about that—
No, I've seen it in the book Syreon gave me.
This guy...
He's a pureblood as well!
A rarity just like me and Aeron.
"No more resistance unless you really insist in getting hurt" says one man in cloak as he shoved Aeron to walk forwards. "I'm already following, darn it." He grumbled under his breath while reaching a hand to me. "Stay close to me" Aeron whispered as I just took his hand and we both followed the men as they led us inside the ruins.
"And you— you're coming with me!" I heard another man say behind us.
"Yeah yeah! I know that already, you shit head. I know where his quarters are!" Another voice replied.
I looked at them over my shoulders and saw Stray followed a little behind us while he went on rambling mini arguments with the men in cloak.
"You never learn, do you? Did you really think you will succeed this time?" Grumbled a man in cloak.
"Tsk. Worth a try! At least I got the chance to beat you guys up again! It's enough consolation if you ask me! Hahahah! Do you even train? It's like you never make any progress ever!"
"You and your big mouth! You will face punishment again for this time!"
"I'll gladly receive one any day if it means rubbing it to your faces how weak all you guys are! Hahahaha!"
"Why you—?!?"
"Go ahead, come at me. I'm up for one more round!"
"Ahh geez. Just keep walking! You're hopeless, Stray. The boss seems in a good mood though. All thanks to the arrival of the new kids"
They sound like they know each other already. And he showed great aplomb in the means of fighting too.
I wonder what's his role in this syndicate?
Suddenly our line of sight crosses.
"And what are you looking at, snow head?" He says with a condescending smile.
Snow head....
Ah. He... has dimples though.
"Aerra, don't look at them." Murmured Aeron, tagging at my arm. I turned my head front and nodded at Aeron.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
We were thrown into a room which was softly lit by a torch that hanged on the wall. There was no windows inside but the ceiling was utmost three stories from the ground.
I looked around and saw several beds carved on the walls, like bunk beds. At least there are futons and blankets, I thought. But wow there's a lot of beds. As in a lot!
The room is rectangularly long and on the other end of the room, just by a corner, I saw something moved.
There was only one torch that lit the entire room and it hanged next to the doorway from where we came from so everything else further was dark. "Hello?" I asked out. "Anybody there?"
"Aerra, don't —!" Complained Aeron as he grabbed me by the wrist. I pulled his hand off.
"I'm Aerra..."
"Don't tell them your name?!" Aeron grunted.
"And this is my twin brother, Aeron"
"Ugh! Why did you tell my name!?"
I faced Aeron and scowled at him. I was about to argue with him but then a soft voice answered from the dark corner of the other end of the room.
"Hello there, Aerra and Aeron"
A footstep emitted and stepped into the light.
A small young girl in cloak, who stood almost few inches higher from me, smiled a bit and spoke. "I am Noriin. But most call me Nora. You can call me however you like."
"Are they friendly?" Another voice uttered from the dark corner. It was a tiny voice.
I peered through the direction from where it came from.
Nora looks back over her shoulder, "Yes. They are in the same situation as us. Come here, greet them" she replied, gesturing with a hand.
Suddenly small foosteps began to move closer and steps out from the shadows and towards us.
I gasped.
My eyes instantly begun to head count them. One... two... three... There were ten of them.
Ten tiny children, young enough to consider as toddlers.
I clasped at my mouth in disbelief.
"These are the children the Ouboros also took aside myself" says Nora. As the tiny children flocked and gathered by her feet. "The youngest is three years old. Majority is five and six" she explains as she took the youngest child up with one arm.
The other children hid behind her and stared anxiously up at us, especially to Aeron.
I looked at Aeron. His face painted a mix of conflict and frustration as he stared sightlessly to the floor. "Aeron, stop. You're making such a scary face. You're scaring them."
Aeron scowled at me, "I am not! I'm just trying to think." he says as he crossed his arms and then turned his back at us.
"Come. Let me brief you." Says Nora as she carried the child down and walked closer to us. She then grabbed the torch beside us. "You must've met a man called as Stray before they led you here?"
I watch her as she opens the torch at the other end of the room and then returns the torch she held back in it's original place which was near the door.
"Yes" I replied as she sat to the floor.
"I'm sure you have some questions for him. He'll be joining us here in a bit. You don't have to be weary around him. He's one of us."
The room finally lit up brighter than before. I carefully looked around as Nora called at us to sit down with them on the floor as they all gather in the middle of the room where a simple rug is placed. They form a circle formation, leaving a space just enough for me and Aeron.
I sat down as the children studied me.
Aeron sat behind me instead while facing his back on us. "Why are you sitting over there?" I whispered at Aeron. "Shut up and just let me brood here" he grumbled. He must've thought his face generally scares the kids.
Nora begun with letting the other children introduced themselves one by one. Each showing their brooches that has their House emblems.
"So from what House are you from?" Nora smiles.
"Does it even matter?" Aeron murmured as we all looked at him. "Whatever House we came from won't matter unless we can return to it."
I can hear the frustration in his voice.
"Of course it matters" Nora retorted. "It's the only identity we can keep in this place. It's the only dignity we can hold on to whatever happens. It's... our symbol of hope." Her voice goes low, "The symbol that we're not forgotten"
I watch her as she smiled bitterly. "I've been here for... six years."
"...!?"
"Ouboros is a slave trader group. They abduct and sell highborn children as slaves across the seas. We are all bound to awaken our powers at some point so they train us here to fight. We are given different names to form a new identity as we grow older as their trained mercenaries ready to be sold. We are actually a lot more before but just few days ago they went and took almost everyone. What you're seeing now are what's left of their collection"
I looked at each of the children as they just sat there in silence.
Six years? I thought as I look at her and studied her. Nora has curly red wine hair and bright crystalline green eyes that were very eye catching, "Sorry but this might be kind of... umm— by any chance, are you...?"
Nora cuts me off even before I could finish. "A pure blood? Yes. Just like you guys."
I knew it.
"I hail from the Ergus Ancient bloodline. You are Arcanians, correct?" Nora went on, "Both Stray and I have been in this place for years. You see— when they have use of you they don't easily sell you. As I assume you already saw, Stray can fight. He is actually an early bloomer. He had awaken his powers at early age. Seven, I believe. While I had awaken mine at 11. They usually order us to do errands for them in exchange of food and the safety of these children. Hence we weren't sold up as slaves. Unless of course a collector comes up and readily pays up."
"Wait. A Collector?"
"Collectors are twisted sick people who are usually rich enough to collect rarities like us. They intend to buy either a piece of us or the entire body. Either way they like it preserved..."
Preserved.
I shuddered.
Nora removes her cloak and showed her missing left arm, "Yes. Preserved. I suppose a live one is too much of a hassle for them so Ouboros slices it up for them."
I felt like my voice left my throat as I stared at her armless shoulder. "But don't worry, Collectors prefer those who had awaken their power because they believe a part of us still carries that power, which make it special enough for collecting." She explains as she pulled her cloak back and covered herself once again. "Collectors are specific with pure bloods. Ordinary nobles like these children are at least safe from their radar."
"We look out for each other here. But you need to listen mostly to Stray if you want to survive. That's not actually his real name but he somehow prefers to be called as that. He's been here the longest. He is a good person. You just... need to get used to him."
And as if on cue, the door bursts open.
Men in cloak hurls someone towards us and then quickly closes the door once again.
I looked at the person who was on the floor as he moved. "Stray!" Gasped Nora as she scattered on her feet and went to a corner to get something and then goes back to him.
"Darn those bastards!" he grunted as he finally got to sit up straight with both legs crossed. His entire torso was tied in a rope. Nora began to cut through the rope using a piece of sharpened wood.
"Gah! This is your fault! I could have gotten away if you two didn't show up!" He suddenly glared at us.
"You know it's not their fault. They're the least persons who could have wanted involvement in this, Stray." replied Nora, still focused on cutting off all the ropes.
"So how old are you two snow heads?" He asks us.
I opened my mouth to answer but Aeron suddenly grabbed me and covered my mouth with both his hands. "Don't answer. Ignore him!" he whispered.
"Hey! I heard that!?"
"I intended to." Murmured Aeron.
Stray growled. He suddenly stood up and violent wind suddenly surrounded him.
We all crawled away aback except Nora who just sat there with an apologetic smile.
All the ropes that bound him suddenly comes off him into pieces. He stretches his arms for a bit and then strode to where we are. He squats down in front of us and held Aeron's head. "I'll ask again. How old are you?" He asks grimly, moving his face close to Aeron.
Aeron, who sat there stupor finally murmured, "N-nine! But we're turning 10 in just few days..."
Stray stood up straight with a smug.
"That's better. Well, I'm called Stray. I'm 14. This girl right here is called Nora. She's 16. The others around you ranges from three to six years old."
Sixteen—?!
I looked at Nora as she just beamed at me.
She's just few inches taller from me so I naturally thought she was around my age!
"Only you two are capable in coming with us tomorrow. The other kids are too young for work so I expect you two will carry responsibility with us for them. Ya got that?"
I nodded. Aeron just ignored him, looking away.
Stray squats down before us once again.
"We can't afford stubborn kids in here. The others might suffer if you keep at it."
"You're the one to talk..." murmured Aeron under his breath. "My sister almost got hurt because of you."
"Oh really? It's my fault?" Stray chuckled as he suddenly pulled me to him.
Startled, Aeron quickly turned and was about to react when he suddenly stopped moving. He was looking wan with wide opened eyes.
Why? I thought.
Suddenly I felt something sharp by my neck.
I looked down and realized Stray's entire arm turned into a sharp crescent blade, which he held in direct contact on the skin of my neck.
"If it's my fault then answer me this, kiddo. If you've been strong enough, attentive and fast enough— do you still think I could have taken your sister like this from you easily?"
Aeron's clenched his teeth but stayed silent. I can see both his hands turn into fist.
"You're weak. You're nothing but words and no action. So if you intend to be like that, don't expect I'll be saving your sorry ass or your sister's when they suddenly decided to cut one of you up. Just make sure none of the other kids get involve otherwise I'll cut you up myself."
Stray finally releases me and stood up to his feet.
His arm morphed back to normal.
"Go to sleep early. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow!" He concluded as he walked to one of the beds and threw himself on it, back facing us.
Nora immediately comes to us. "I hope you won't hold it against him, Aeron. He is just looking after us. The truth is, one of the kids here cried all night, last night. And there's this sweet berry that can be found at the pit where we train. It's not that far away from here. We all love those berries. So I think, Stray tried to sneak out just to get some for us especially to cheer up the children." Nora glances at Stray who stayed silent. "He's just like that. But he's on our side, okay? I'm sure you'll understand soon" she explains as she looks at me and smiled.
Sweet berries?
I groped at my pocket.
The bubblegum is still here!
"I HAVE SWEETS!" I said out in stark excitement.
They all looked at me in surprise.
Even Stray turned and looked at me.
"I think it's more than enough for all of us!" I took it out my pocket. "Here it is!"
All the children looked at it with gleaming eyes, awed.
"Is it really alright?" One child says,
"Can we really have some?" Another kid asks.
"Of course!!!" I knelt down to meet their eye level and begun to open the bag of gums. "I have lots and lots here in many different colors too!"
"I want pink!" Says a little girl.
"I'll have the green one" says another boy
"Can I have blue?"
"I want blue one too"
"I like yellow!"
"Now now. Settle down!" says Nora in a cheer, "Everyone, line up! Let's do this properly!" She claps as everyone gathered in one straight line before me.
I began distributing one by one.
I glanced at Aeron who was sulking beside me. "Aeron" I called at him as he just turned to me and smiled wryly at me in defeat. "Go line up too" I told him. I know he wants to apologize at me for some reasons but the energy of the children and their cheering were too contagious. Aeron stood up and went at the back of the line.
Good thing I took a whole bunch. I sighed in relief as I went on giving out a piece and received a big grin from each of the children, thanking me as they go. Finally it reached Aeron, "Don't apologize" I began even before he could open his mouth. "I understand, Aeron. I know you want to protect me and wasn't able to... but I know you're better than that. Someday you'll grow stronger and better. Just try to be subservient for now and let's just do our best here together, okay?"
He nods and points at a blue one, "Give me the blue one then" he says timidly. I hand it to him as he finally gave me a big grin.
That's better, I thought.
Aeron has been on edge ever since we got here.
I watch him as he walks to a corner as other kids circled him, he scratched his head bashfully, obviously diffident, as they went on talking to him.
He still have problem interacting with other children but I'm sure he'll get used to it in time. But not for too long— I don't want us to spend the rest of our years in this place.
Not just us... I hope we all get out of this situation.
I wonder how Mama and Papa is now....
"Thank you so much for this, Aerra" says Nora as she stood before me with a gentle smile. "Don't mention it" I replied as I hand her a random colored piece. "I'm at your dept! You don't know how much this sweet means a lot to the children"
I shook my head. "I won't be able to eat it alone anyway." I replied, as pursed my lips. "So might as well share it, right?"
Suddenly she jumps on me and hugged me with an arm— her only arm. "You're so adorable, do you know that?" She says, squeezing me tight. "Ahhh! I've always wanted to do this awhile ago." She added, pinching my cheek as she does. "I honestly thought you will be a snob with your white hair and cool blue eyes. You're like a little ice princess! No, a little ice doll! You're so pretty and adorable! And and—!!"
She went on chattering... as she latched onto me.
No one had really done this sort thing to me ever since I was reborn in this life. Surprised and at lost for words, I felt like my body frozen in place. I wasn't sure how to react. Should I comply and hug her back? But I don't feel like doing that to her... If I tell her to stop, she might take it the wrong way instead. Err.... what to do? ( |||•_•)
"Aerra, you're so so adorable!"
She went on snuggling me in a very tight embrace, alternating with a pinch to my cheek and rubbing her cheeks against mine... until finally someone taps her from behind.
Ahh, a saviour!
"You're holding the line." Stray stood behind her with one eyebrow up.
"You kill joy!" she grumbled in a pout as she steps off from me and then walks away.
I looked up at him.
"Aerra, is it?" He asks, he quirks his lips in a corner that showed one of his dimples momentarily.
I nodded.
"Got any red ones left?" He uttered in a contented smile, showing both his dimples at the same time.
My eyes glued at it.
I can't help but to stare at him.
What a ridiculously charming smile....
"Well?" he asks
I looked down at my bag of sweets in a giddy panic. I saw a red one but beside it was a purple one.
Hmm.
His eyes matches this better....
I took the purple one and placed it on his open palm.
He stared at it.
"You...." he pinches my cheeks, "How did purple ever become red, huh? Are you color blind?"
"Ahh, I just thought it suits you better" I retorted, cringing away from him as he went on pulling and stretching my cheeks wide.
"Oh..." he stopped, "Is it because of my eyes?"
I looked at him as he grabbed the small bag of sweets away from my hand and begun to poke around it. He stopped and looked at me. "Want this back? Say sorry first" he says in a sneer.
What the heck?
Well I suppose it won't hurt to do as he says so I looked up at him as he leaned down to me as if earnestly waiting for me to say it,
"I'm so——!!?"
He shoots a ball of candy in my mouth.
"...?!"
I almost choked on it as it hits the back of my throat. I clasped at my mouth, coughing as I struggled to roll it back on my tongue even before I could have swallowed it whole.
I look at him in a grimace.
"Hahahahahaha! Look at your face!" he cackled as he hands me back the bag of candy.
He then puts the purple candy on his tongue and showed it to me before he closed his mouth,
"Now we're even, blue eyes!" He chuckled, winks and then turned about, walking back to his bed.
I checked the candy out from my tongue and realized it really was a blue one.
I then started to chew on it.
Oh. And it wasn't a gum after all...
But it was chewable.
"Aerra, you can take this bed" says Nora as I looked at her, patting a bed. Aeron was already at the bed above mine.
"Rest for now. They will call us out early tomorrow for sure." she says. "Or you can share my bed with me and..."
"That bed is preferable!" I strode across the room and sat on the bed she had patted.
She giggled.
"Okay then. Everybody settled?"
All the kids replied in one voice, "Yes we are!"
As I wonder what's happening, Nora sat on one of the beds and took a simple wooden plank with strings and begun to play it.
Her fingers gently strums in a beat and then she opens her mouth and began to sing.
A really soft and calming voice escapes out from her lips.
I watched her in amazement, listening to perhaps the most beautiful song I have ever heard in this world.
I never understood the lyrics but the melody— her voice... was enough for me to feel serene.
I looked at the other children and realized they were all tucked on their beds, with closed eyes and a smile on their faces.
I closed my eyes too and listened as she went on.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
I feel like some gods are somehow making an irony twist of whatever I say. Making it look rhetorical by putting me in an exaggerated situation out from a simple comment I had made.
I do remember complaining just few days ago for having boring days since nothing had ever happen for the entire year round. And now I'm in the middle of a desert, held captive by some slave 'Dealers' called Ouboros and will be forced to work and train as mercenaries until our powers awaken.
But I worry for my parents more... Mama might be crying her eyes out by now. Just the thought of it breaks my heart...
Slowly I felt myself fading further to sleep.
Sinking in that calming emptiness...
The lullaby Nora is singing is too calming that it's effective.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
When I opened my eyes, I realized then that I really have fallen asleep.
I took a look around
Everybody was still asleep.
I touch my tummy as it complained in loud rumblings.
I'm hungry as I am thirsty.
I have of course felt like this before in my previous life but never in this current life I have now.
I worry I might wake others up from my loud stomach growlings though.
Another groan can be heard above me.
"Aeron, are you awake?" I whispered
He stuck his head out slowly and looked at me with narrow eyes. "I need to eat. Can I have some of your candies?"
I nodded and handed it to him.
"But wouldn't that make you more thirsty?" I asked as he gave the bag of candy back hastily.
"How did you know I'm thirsty?"
I sat up and shrugged.
"A twin's intuition?" I grin at him.
He just glared at me in silence for a couple of seconds before he decided to climb back down.
"Aren't you scared, Aerra?"
I nodded.
"Of course I am. But I don't think acting it out makes any difference." I replied as I watch him sit beside me, curling both his knees close to his chest.
"I'm glad you're not crying at least." he says, "Remember when we first got lost in the maze back at our own gardens when we were younger? You kept crying before... And I was so frustrated because if it weren't for me, we shouldn't have been in there in the first place... You always followed me around then... but now— you really have changed."
I chuckled. "Yes, I remember that!" I replied. "We are both left alone most of the time and I was terrified being on my own because the castle was still so big for me so I always followed you before.... We were almost inseparable because I would cry then if I didn't see you around me."
"Yes. It seemed like it was always just you and me inside the castle." He says in a pensive smile. "It always has been just the two of us... just you and me. But you are learning to leave my side now. It's still feels new to me especially when you initiate our separation."
I tried to recall everything I could ever since I woke up from the tree incident up until now. Oh how he cried when I decided to go to Osteell without him.
I suppose it was me who really was becoming distant to Aeron, maybe that's another reason why he's been more insistent in keeping me around him.
Wait. So it's my fault he developed this notorious over protective brother facade after all.
"Everything is growing now. Not just us. The world around us is now growing bigger." He say looking at the other beds where other children were sleeping.
"Does it scare you?" I asked him,
He shook his head. "Not that I can do anything about it but... it terrifies me if you suddenly decide you don't want me around anymore. Who would become my twin then?"
I sighed.
"You dimwit. We're still are twins whether we're together or not!" I chuckled.
He chuckled as well. "You're just saying that because you want to live where Levi is"
"What?! No—! How did he suddenly got involved in this twin tête-à-tête?"
He sneers, "He likes you, you know that right?"
"Just stop! Let's focus about the twin-ship here!" I replied, flustered.
"Heh! But I won't hand you over to him easily. When we return to Greenrun, I will train more and study harder so I can improve our Dukedom to one great independent and strong city!"
"I'm sure you can do that." I nodded. "I'll do my best to grow stronger and more independent as well so that I wouldn't get in your way and that you wouldn't have to keep worrying about me."
He frowns, "That's the main point! I want you to depend on me. Just grow and do whatever you like. You don't have to be stronger. Just trust me. I will take care of us, Aerra. Just you and me. We'll rule over Greenrun together"
Err...
"Aeron, I don't think that—"
"Are you worried about heirs?— that if we take over Greenrun together without betrothals no one will become the scion and ascend to rule over Greenrun next to us?"
I halted and look at him. "That... yes, that's another thing."
He grins at me and lightly laughed. "I have plans for that— so don't worry. When we turn 15, we will be sent to the Academy for nobles to learn more about out powers, right? I don't think Levi can attend to that though because of his commoner blood, he has no powers. It's my chance to step up if so. I'll become number one in that school! While he builds his empire I will lift Greenrun above the ground and show our parents that we don't need Osteell!"
I just sighed. "It seems you it have it all planned up. You are forgetting one more thing... the centennial priestess"
"Bah. Who cares about her? That's just political stuff. It doesn't mean anything. Greenrun has survived for years without her blessing anyway"
I wonder if that notion will change if Aeron meets her though...
Suddenly both our stomachs growled at the same time.
We both sighed.
"Can I have the candy now?" Murmured Aeron as I was about to hand it to him.
"Wake up!"
A muffled voice yelled out from the otherside of the door. Banging three times. "Breakfast"
All the children started to get up one by one.
"Time to eat!" Stray says loudly as he stretches and yawn. "Hey you two snow heads, eat a lot! You'll gonna need it." He added as he walks pass us and walked out the room. Leaving the door behind him open.
Nora stands up and began to usher the other children out.
"If these people will train us, how about we use that to our advantage and train to be the best?" asks Aeron, as I nodded. "I'll train until I'm stronger than that Stray guy and then we'll get out of here! After all, five days left till we turn ten. If our power awakens at the same time, we'll show all these bad guys that they messed with the wrong twins!"
"Sounds like a nice plan to me" I replied as we both stood up.
"Come on guys!" hollered Nora at us, smiling as she waited by the doorway while the other children stepped out as well. "The food is limited. There might not be any left if you delay further"
Aeron just turns to me, "Let's go?" He asks, reaching a hand. I grabbed his hand and nodded.
"Let's go!"
———end of Chapter 5———
**🎄🎄🎄
A/N: Early update than the usual
*bows*
Holidays= more time to write
...and procrastinate