The forest was quiet when I got there. I suddenly felt danger coming. I twisted my body sideways and saw a knife hit a green tree. It vibrated when it connected there. I looked in the north side when lasers followed to assault me.
“Yetti!” I cursed in Aryan language while I dodged and rolled over to take cover. My back was pressed against the blue tree. I looked up when the tree creaked and groaned. It broke and I rolled to the next one to not get hit when it fell.
I peered at the direction the lasers came from. ‘Who are these Aryans? Why are they attacking me?’ I ground my teeth as I took Ponpon out.
“This is not good,” he said.
“You’re just telling me that now?” I hissed. He was quiet this entire time.
“Those are definitely not Aigleans,” he observed. His red eyes were rolling in alert mode. “Your east!” he screamed.
I just barely glanced and I dove and rolled towards south, evading the white laser that was going to incinerate me. My heart was already beating fast from the adrenalin rush.
“I know, Ponpon! Just shut up!” I said when I was hidden behind two entwined trees. They were like lovers doing something… well, suggestive enough to an Aryan mind like mine at this moment. But seriously, it was fascinating. How could two different trees form like this? They formed like Aryans having… sex! Maybe some Aryan made these two like this for some personal entertainment, perhaps?
Oh! Why did I have to see this right now? I hadn’t noticed this before.
“Looks like it’s not only one Aryan,” Ponpon observed.
“Yes, thanks for the enlightenment,” I answered sarcastically, as if I had not realized that. There were at least three of them, I could feel it.
I looked up and leaped on a tree branch. I smirked when I saw them. They wore blue and green overall suits that camouflaged in the forest. So, that was how they played it. I quietly leaped to another branch and landed smoothly behind one attacker. I covered his mouth and slashed his neck.
“One down!” Ponpon said triumphantly. His eyes went redder.
“Silence!” I hissed at him again.
“Someone’s behind you,” he said in a bored tone.
I ducked when I heard a low swish of a sword and left a back kick, hitting my enemy in the chest. He flew some meters away from me, which was stopped by a tree branch and impaled him. A fast oncoming enemy ran towards me with a high kick. I parried it with one hand, forced to step back a couple meters away from him, while he landed smoothly on the ground. He pounced on me with straight punches, which I easily parried or dodged. I counterattacked with a roundhouse but he was quick to dodge it, too. But the same foot gave him a sidekick, hitting him in the rib. It made him stagger backward.
“Who are you?” I questioned, looking at his covered face. Only his fiery green eyes could be seen, typical Aryan.
He didn’t answer me. Instead, he took his laser handgun and fired at me. I dove to evade his shots, which made a soft whirring sound. The trees that were hit broke and fell to the ground with a loud crash. I could smell the burned part of the tree. Sitting on the ground with my back against a green tree, I quickly scanned my surroundings. He was about to shoot me again. But with my telekinetic powers, I hurled the tree towards him. He was sandwiched between the entwined trees, with the broken tree stuck in his stomach.
“Now we’ll never know who sent them,” Ponpon commented and sighed.
I sheathed him but pulled him out of the scabbard again while I quickly stood up. I felt that familiar presence again. I turned to my left side, cocking my head.
“You?”
“Yes, I sent them to test you.”
What in powerful being’s name did he do that?
I looked at him fiercely. Using my telekinetic powers I raised my hand and the laser handgun was in my hand in half a dot. I pointed it at him
“Tell me why or I’ll shoot you now!”
But the stranger calmly paced in front of me, with his eyes on my face. “You’re not going to shoot me. I was training you.”
My eyebrows drew together while I gritted my teeth. He was training me? What kind of nonsense was that? I was forced to kill those Aryans! That was my first time! I did not even hesitate because I was threatened! If I hadn’t, my father only knows what would have happened!
“Don’t talk to me in riddles, stranger!” I demanded. “What’s your angle for doing this? What did I even do to you?”
He stopped pacing, looking at me with his hard green orbs. “You are going to the Banatan, Xerra. You can’t help but kill someone there! I’m doing this for you! You should not hesitate when the occasion calls for it!” he lectured.
I blinked. My hand tightened the hold of the handgun. I fired it next to him. He looked behind him as a tree fell. He did not even flinch, but he turned his head back to me and gave me a hard look.
“I don’t want you to do that again. The Banatan is my business!” I hurled the laser handgun to his face but he effortlessly dodged it.
I turned my back to him. Why am I not even fighting with him? Why didn’t I just shoot him right through his stomach?
Something held me back to do it. I didn’t know why. Maybe there was something in his eyes that told me he didn’t mean me any harm… that he was indeed telling me the truth… that he was just helping me.
I sheathed Ponpon back to his scabbard.
“I think he’s a good Aryan,” he observed.
“Huh! I was almost killed earlier! And you’re telling me that?” I growled.
“You have to learn the hard way, too, Xerra. You know that deep inside,” he argued.
I didn’t have a rebuttal for that. I just kept quiet before I broke into a run to clear my head.
I dressed up just like my sister wanted me to. It was a simple lavender gown with embedded stones and jewels that could only be found in the Aiglean land. My high-heeled shoes shined because of the jewels that were embedded on them as well. They glittered whenever the light touched them. I did look good for a change, compared to my usual attire.My sister, on the other hand, looked like a princess in her gown tonight. Her hair was caught in a high bun, with curly strands that were left hanging, which framed her beautiful face. It was even more pronounced by the dark makeup she had on, which she did on her own. She was pretty adept on that department, unlike me. She made every Aryan turn his or her head in her direction just to admire her beauty as we walked on. We trudged side by side and were greeted by our fellow guests. There were already the familiar and unfamiliar faces present there. But it was noticeable that there were more unfamiliar faces that stared at us, es
“Oh, who’s there? Who’s there?” Ponpon asked but I didn’t answer. I could feel though that his head wriggled at the handle of my poniard.It was that stranger from the forest alright. My sister seemed to be right with her foresight lately, I supposed. I acted calm and normal, trying not to think what he had done to me in the forest early this morning. I turned my head to look in front of me and nonchalantly drank the fruit wine that was in the glass I held in one hand. It was a gesture that I was ignoring him—if he got what I mean. I did not want to linger or analyze why I feel something whenever he is around. I did not want to read something between the lines… er… in his eyes, rather. I did not want to feel anything at all, especially for this strange Aryan.But it didn’t seem to get what I wanted to relay to him. He sauntered closer to me, and he sat down just beside me on the bench, looking up at the lights above us. I stole a glance at him. There was a
Daraton was following fast on his heels, trying to say something with urgency in a low tone, which I couldn’t hear.I looked down at my lap and took the flower with my free hand. The beautiful and rare flower looked like jelly but it was as hard as plastic. I only heard some things about this rare flower from my fellow Aigleans. It was the first time thought that I got to touch it and peruse it in person. The flower was indeed a wonder.I smelled its sweet scent with a smile, thinking about the stranger.Oh, why, oh, why? Why couldn’t I shake him off my thought? We only met twice but he left me such a deep impression, which was entirely bugging me.‘He knows me. But I don’t know him.’Aside from being the only half-breed on this planet, who everybody must have known me by reputation and name, he seemed to really know me. Personally. That was odd. Who could have told him about me if he was from the north?“Oh, you got yourself an admirer, I see.” O
I went back home after my early morning excursion and found my yawning sister at the kitchen. I placed down the jar of bark juice on the table carefully.“It was quite a long night. It was so nice!” she said dreamily. Her smile was from ear to ear. It was kind of different, which I immediately noticed.“Right. You came in late,” I pointed out to her gently. She told me to go ahead because she wanted to stay longer at the wedding party, so I let her. I was exhausted, that’s why. Well, not physically but more on mentally speaking.‘It was because of that stranger who gave me a guabula!’“Yes, you were so rude. You left me at Oleifa’s!” She turned round to face me, with accusation in her beautiful green eyes. She wasn’t at all dismayed but rather enjoyed her freedom.I rolled my eyes upward. “You said I can go ahead, so I left!” I sat down in the chair and crossed one foot over the other. I put down Ponpon on the table and rested my elbows on the armchair.
Today, just like any ordinary day, I would help the farmers plant or harvest. So, I walked toward the farm, passing by our neighbors and our supply areas. The supply areas were where the food and drinks were stocked for the whole tribe. Whoever ran out of stocks at home, they could just get them from here. Everything was free to get anything they needed. Some may hoard some food and drinks, but it was not a crime, since we had everything we need and everything was abundant. Anyway, everyone helped out to make some food and drinks for everyone, so it was like we all earned everything we got from the supply areas.I nodded at some neighbors I met and passed by. They were nice beings. I was glad I was born to this tribe since they embraced me like their own, even though I was only half-breed.I looked up at the beautiful sky. The temperature was great. The sun wouldn’t usually burn our skin. It was always good for us and the plants and everything. Nonetheless, rain was rare
The man who answered was unknown to me. He was dressed in an elite warrior suit of black and blue. His long sword was hanging on his side. I didn’t let down my guard though. I was still holding Ponpon, ready to pounce just in case. Even though he was no threat, I could not just let my guard down. What if the King sent him to kill me after he killed my mother? Well, I know that I only suspected the King for my mother’s demise. However, I could not just put it to rest that he did not let her children know she was ill at the time. We could have done something. Or we could have been beside her when she was suffering, made her at least comfortable. I had no idea if he did everything he could for our mother then. That is why I so hate the King to the point that I suspect him for killing my mother.“Oh, Luick! What are you doing there?” I heard Zelian’s deep voice behind me. I whirled around to look at him. He knew this elite warrior?“Luick?” I echoed and
I swallowed hard. I did not want to accept my father’s words. But I knew that I had to, whether I liked it or not. The stranger’s face unexpectedly appeared in my reverie all of a sudden. My brows furrowed. It was because my father could see him in my thoughts, too. Everything from reality to my deepest dreams and desires, my father could see it. Nothing could be hidden from him. And I wasn’t wrong. My father smiled knowingly at me. His blue lips were torn from ear to ear. He was giving me that teasing look now, which made my cheeks go red.“Now, that unique being is quite interesting, my daughter,” he remarked.“Oh, Father! He just annoys me…” I frowned at him. Frustration was written all over my face.“You’re still in self-denial but I understand.” He smiled at me knowingly, still. I hated that smile of his. I couldn’t wipe it off from his face!Yes, I really I hated it when he does that. It was so unfair! My father knew everything that I didn
“You know? I just figured it out. You have that special skill called dagus to hide your aura and your presence. I must say you’re a powerful Aryan, stranger. It’s not like everybody can do it naturally. And I must admit I have trouble doing that myself.” Then, I crossed my arm as I watched him carefully.Tonight, he wore a simple pair of leather pants and sleeveless top, showing his muscular triceps. Overall, he was exhibiting his sexiness in his outfit. Until now, I could not pinpoint where he is from.The stranger sniggered and walked toward me in a predatory manner. However, I was not afraid of him.“So, he’s awesome then?” Ponpon inquired me innocently to the point of stupidity.“Keep silent, Ponpon,” I commanded him, trying hard to not get embarrassed. Ponpon is such a blabbermouth! Maybe it is because he has no brain! He sighed and did what I told him to. I was still looking at this strange being and tried to keep my hear