(A/N: Faith after one year ^)
35 - MEET AGAIN.
【 FAITH 】
(October, 2047)
I sat on a huge rock and drink my water, Sonju and I are here in the forest where he trains me new skills. I've already mastered bow and spear, I got used in fighting demons on close range now and it has become easier for me to escape from the demons. Wild demons or farm demons. Pretty sure I've become so famous in the plantation now because of how many pursuers we have defeated these past year.
Sonju never get tired to teach me new skills and he wants me to improve even more. I don't really know why, when we found a gun, he also taught me how to hold, aim, and fire it. He even told me how to defend myself, taught me some moves how to fight---I don't know how they knew it all, but he's incredible.
It's been one year and eight months since we escaped from Grace Field. I wonder how the kids are doing right now, I hope they are fine, I'm still keeping in touch with Ray and Emma but it seldomly happens now. It's fine for me, I know they need to focus on what they are currently doing. The last time I talked to them is when they're investigating about The Seven Walls and went to Cuvitidala. I know they'll be so busy, because Ray mentioned before that they will start looking for the temple and a golden water, they need to find those to be able to enter The Seven Walls.
"Faith, come here, you see that fruit? Go get it," Sonju said before he place his hands on my waist, I nodded and looks at the branch of the tree, I ready myself to jump and when Sungjoo got a good posture, he launched me to the branch the same time I did a powerful jump.
I smiled when I reached the branch, I quickly cling my arms to it and give Sonju a thumbs up, he nodded and I lift my body to sit on the branch. I remove my shoes before dropping it to Sonju, he catched it with his hands and look up to me again.
I carefully stand up, leaning my hand to the trunk of the tree to support myself.
"Careful!" Sonju said.
"Yeaah!" I answered and spread my arms as I starts to walk, I slowly walk on the branch while balancing myself, and if ever I made any mistakes and fall, there is Sonju to catch me.
I breathe in and breathe out before I continue walking on the branch, when I nearly reach the fruit—
"Hey! Don't run—"
Too late.
I run to the fruits, the branch is a bit shaking but, it's fighting for its life hahaha, when I reach the end of the branch, I jumped and quickly grab the bunch of fruits, since I'm heavy for it's stem—
"Whoooo!" I yelled as I fall down with the fruits in my hands, and there's Sonju who caught me before I hit the ground.
"I told you not to run!" He scolded, I just giggled and he put me down on the ground, I hand him the fruit and he accepted it, putting it inside the basket that was made by Musica.
"You never listen to me," he mumbled after sighing in disbelief, I smiled.
"I told you to not worry about that, trees are just playground for me and Emma," I said with a smile on my face, he just shook his head because of my answer and I just chuckled before I ride his horse.
Thank you for the fruit's attention, Sonju forgot about the training, hehe, and we're going back to the cave now hihi.
I hope my friends are fine in their shelter, I know they can handle themselves, plus Yuugo and Lucas were there to protect them, too. Yuugo—he was the guy who pointed a gun to Emma before. But, he's a good person, they told me about what happened to him and it literally made me cry! And I'm so glad when he met his friend again, Lucas.
I hope they are doing fine.
***
"Sonju, Musica, where are we going again?" I asked the two who's staying behind me, I am riding the horse while they are walking behind me as if they were guarding my surroundings—what are they?! My bodyguards?!
But, I'm used to this.
It always happen whenever we look for another place we can take shelter to. But, now, they didn't tell me why we left the underground cave.
"Some humans are looking for me and Musica, that's why we need to leave it as soon as possible," Sonju answered, wait, what?
Humans? Looking for Musica and Sonju? Wait, HUMANS?! Why would they even search for Sonju and Musica? I mean, humans? Well, it's not impossible. Sonju and Musica were hunted since before, but...why so sudden? And humans?
Oh, come to think of it, they aren't telling me yet why they were hunted before.
"Sonju, Musica...why were you being hunted again?" I asked without looking back, so I didn't know what their reactions are. I really want to know the reason why, what had occur that made the other demons hunt them?
"Hmm, I guess it's the right time to tell you," Musica said and she started talking. I also made sure to activate my communication device, if ever Ray's there to listen.
"Since I was born, I know I'm different. I never get degenerated like any other demons out there, no matter what I eat, my body never change. I was even called a miracle child and all of them feels lucky to have me. I helped the other demons who are turning into wild demons and they were thanking me as they join our group, all of us wandered around and continue helping the other demons. I made a lot of friends because of that and we also stopped eating humans," Musica paused, I stare on the way and crease my forehead. So she already did it before? Helping other demons? But...how did it end up this way?
I hope Ray is listening on his device.
"Yeah. But, the nobles caught them, her friends, and ate them all, they imprisoned Musica so she won't get in their way. They are afraid that Musica might steal the power from them," Sonju said, power, huh? They killed and ate Musica's friends just because they were afraid that Musica might get in their way...?!
"They were eaten by the nobles to maintain their human form. Since they have Musica's blood, if they eat them they won't degenerate as well. After that, they spread a false rumor that Musica's blood is cursed, that once you digested her blood you'll die. They said that her blood is toxic for the demons, that's why they all helped each other to catch her and kill her," Sonju added, wha---what the hell are they thinking?! Those demons just wanted to eat humans! They could use Musica's blood to fix this rotten world, yet they---they chose not to. They just wanted to feast on humans forever!
"My master taught me something, and it's the reason why I understood everything," Sonju spoke. His master, huh? I wonder if his master is still alive.
'Everything that lives is precious life created by the Gods, life hunts other life, all of life is connected to each other. The hunt is borrowed, life is also borrowed, it is not a gift, everything in this world is what we borrowed from the Gods. So we must pay them, for our own life and all the life surrounding us. Always extend your hand to share to others, always lend your hand to help your kinds. And thus, whatever we borrow from the Gods should be returned to them, that's the order that we must protect'
"My master told me those things, I helped Musica because I believed in his words. When Musica got caught, I freed her and we escaped together, that's the reason why we're hunted," Sonju ended, it doesn't need a long explanation for me to understand it. It is easy to understand, I feel the heat in my eyes, hearing their past made me want to tear up. But, I can't just cry here—I swore to myself that I would never cry again.
Musica's friends were killed and eaten all because of their corrupted hierarchy. It's just so ruthless, cruel, heartless, all the words with the same meaning could be said to describe those demons. They deserve to...just die.
Why is that...
I'm starting to grow resentful towards those demons.
I didn't speak and just stayed quiet, I don't know what to say, I have nothing to say. It's been seven hundred years since they began hunting them but, until now they're still alive and kicking. It's just too great that they were able to escape from their hunters, but...living like that might really hurt a lot, right? You're living yet there are enemies after you, if its me I'll probably get depressed, they're awesome. And if it weren't for them, I'd probably broken already after having to escape all those demons.
But, I believe that if someone is after you, that means...you're stronger than them. That's right, really accurate, they are hunting Musica and Sonju because they were getting in their way, that's the reason why. Haist, nobles ~
What a bunch of losers ~
While we are looking for our new place, all of us were quiet, no one's talking. And I didn't bother to ask again after that conversation, I don't want to rub salt to their wounds so I should just keep quiet and don't ask about it again. Knowing what happened to them is enough, I just hope their hunters had already given up. It's been seven hundred years after all, but...now...
It's not just demons, humans, too. What do they need from Musica and Sonju?
"Sonju—"
My eyes widened when Sonju suddenly grabbed me and Musica by the waist, he did his best to jump high to bring us to the branch of the highest tree here, my forehead creased and my heart beats faster, what...what happened?
I look down on the ground and I gasped when I saw five people. The first one is wearing a white cloak hoodie, too—just like what I'm currently wearing right now, there was a tall guy, too and he's wearing a tiger stripes long sleeves but, why is he wearing a paper bag on his head? There's a bald guy, too—his skin tone is a bit dark, the other guy on the side is looking up to us, he has a black hair and I can't explain his clothes so—
His body built is good, and the last one is the only girl among them, she has a curly hair, she's smirking to us but, when she saw me her eyes widened.
They are all...holding a weapon.
Except the guy in front.
I turned off the device Ray gave me, it won't be good if they are listening, I don't want to worry them.
"They are holding a kid!"
The girl said.
"Go save the kid—"
"SHUT UP THEY'RE NOT LIKE WHAT YOU THINK!" I yelled, and glare to them. I know it already, they want to kill Sonju and Musica! So they are the humans who are looking for them?
Sonju put me down on the branch, I don't know why but, I quickly grab my bow behind me and also get an arrow. I inserted the arrow to the bow and aim it to those people on the ground.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
I asked, Musica pat my shoulder.
"Faith, calm down," she said, my heart is beating really fast, I'm nervous, really nervous. I don't want anything bad to happen with Musica and Sonju. I want to stay with them no matter what happen.
"Don't worry, kid. You're safe now, did they told you to act like that—"
"I AM NOT ACTING, SHITHEAD! GO AWAY BEFORE I SHOOT YOU!" I yelled again, the girl was shocked because of what I've said. But, she's also curious.
I look at the guy in front, he wasn't looking here. He's looking down, wait...
That...
That figure is familiar, his head was covered by the hoodie so I can't see the guy's face but...
My heart throb and I don't know why but, I really feel nervous right now. It's like something is messing up with my stomach, I want to cry...
"Gosh, this kid is gutsy," the curly haired girl said and pointed at me, I gulped and keep my composure as I glare at her.
"We should just kill her, too," the guy with black hair said, I cocked a brow and I can feel my hand shaking, I'm afraid that I might hurt them.
"That's the best option," the girl said.
"Hey, don't think like that, you two," the bald guy said and patted their shoulders.
"Awaahh..." And that's the only thing the tiger stripes guy said.
"Boss let's just kill her—"
"No,"
And that's it...
My knees felt weak and it's like my whole body was weakened too. That voice, I was right...
I let go of the bow and arrow—no, I accidentally let go of it right after hearing the guy's voice, I even forgot that we're on a tree. My tears start flowing down one by one, the three talkative people down there creased their forehead when they saw me crying.
"Faith? What happened?" Sonju asked, he carry me, let me sit on his right arm while using his left hand to support my back, as if I am a toddler being comforted by her father. Musica panicked when I started crying.
"Faith?! Are you alright? What happened to you?! Why are you crying?!" She asked as she smooth my hair.
"Sonju, let's get back to the ground," I said and I managed to say it without cracking my voice, Sonju just stare at me and glanced to Musica.
"Just do it, Sonju," Musica said, when we head down the from the tree, the five people behind him ready themselves, holding their weapon.
"Don't attack them," he said. And...
There it is...
He removed his hoodie and I can see the tears on his eyes, he's also crying...worries, sad, and pain is visible through his eyes. We made an eye contact and after that my body moves by it's own, running towards him as I throw myself to him.
"Faith,"
"Norman...you're alive,"
***
- cyth_a ✨