《The Happy Village》


 Chapter 1: Innocent Girls

    From the mountains of the north and the forest of the east, a flock of birds soared along a little village. With the gusts of their wings, the houses, the shops, and the temple quaked and swayed in their places. Seeds of a million flowers circulated throughout a network of cobblestone streets, waiting for nature to provide its growth. The sun radiated its warmth, it sent the whole village into sparkles. Upon the sidewalks people roamed about here and there, they chatted with one another about their lives and jobs. The baptism of the heavens had blessed the village as something special, seemingly too special to be real for a few not accustomed to this sanctity among Mother Nature.


    Located in the eastern district, the tower on top of the school building chimed its bell. The sound harmonized with the gentle winds from the north, causing the ringers to feel dizzy. Soon enough, the school released the minions of youth; with the front doors being ajar, the students stormed the school grounds. Their faces beamed grins and winks, and they thanked the clocks for going fast. As they headed to the flagpole, which was in the center of the grounds, the kids and teenagers conversed, they held onto their satchels and tote bags with tired faces. The teachers gave them a pile of papers as homework, as it was the third week of the school year in August after all.


    Wearing loose tunics with short pants, the breezes flowed into the boys and tickled them. Refined silk made up their uniforms, and it withstood the chance of developing wear and tear. As for the girls, they donned a white dress that reached all the way to the top of their shins. Artistic designs they were, the flowers and vines, sprawled about their uniforms and glimmered in gold, the patterns twisted and overlapped each other as though the grace of human imagination decided to create disorganized scribbles.


    All the students showed up to the flagpole. They then divided themselves into three sections: elementary, intermediate, and high school pupils. Two girls, Neha and Sachen, cluttered their presence with their classmates in the fourth grade. Short hair with bangs, also with a red blush on both of her cheeks, Neha loosened the tension from her muscles. Sachen, having long hair that reached to her calves, drummed her chest and huffed as hard as she could.


    ¡°What a fantastic day Neha! Did you see how I turned out during that test in fitness class? I was on fire when it came to running around the tracks!¡±


    ¡°T-the tracks?¡± Neha tilted her head and rubbed her chin. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the time when you were tripping the other sprinters in order to get to first place?¡±


    Sachen grabbed Neha¡¯s shoulders. Her eyes kindled. ¡°You actually remember?! You fell asleep for the test...¡±


    ¡°I had my eyes wide open.¡±


    ¡°Well then, at least you only saw it. It¡¯s not like the teacher kept her eyes to every one of us.¡±


    ¡°Sachen, you shouldn¡¯t keep it to yourself you know? You might get in bigger trouble if you are going to hide it for long... you should tell the teacher, then you can get a minor punishment.¡±


    Her eyes glowing, Sachen sprang forward. She hugged Neha and rattled her head. She might as well reserve the gesture for the teacher.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t even consider that! You know I won¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll be in-¡±


    ¡°Trouble? It was a mere test, it wasn¡¯t that significant! Besides, none of our classmates are approaching us about the matter, so let¡¯s leave it at that!¡±


    Neha sighed. ¡°You want to get away with it don¡¯t you? It¡¯s like that time where you made an excuse for not bringing in the homework, like you said...¡±


    ¡°I remember! I said, ¡¯A cloud of thunderstorms zapped it!¡¯, and it got the class cracking up. The teacher almost believed it, but she made me clean the whole classroom after school! How stressful, and you weren¡¯t there to help me.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl you are!¡±


    The duo chuckled and patted each other¡¯s backs.


    Along with the two, the students filled the air with an endless exchange of words, burdening their throats and mouths, and it seemed to them that this might forever. But from the ticking clock upon the tower, they started to stomp and sweat; not more than a few seconds later that they eyed at the flagpole. There, a large group of classmates in sashes and ribbons arrived, and they broke up into sections according to the aforementioned grade levels. None other than the Young Guards, a student organization, their job was to promote the unity and strength of the school, so as to not let the school loose in chaos.


    The high school section of the Young Guards then presented a flag. It contained in the middle of the fabric, a symbol of a dove with a bundle of spears upon its talons. Winds passing by, the flag motioned the dove as though it was flying by itself. With the time running close to two in the afternoon, the group tied the left end of it with a rope, hoisted it to the top, and wrapped the rope around the pole.


    From the elementary section of the group, a boy emerged and jagged his way to the front of the masses. His dashing black hair and his starry eyes wooed the little ones.


    Sachen jumped to see him. ¡°Is that Kuraizang? I never knew he is in our group.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear from the beginning of the school year? Our grade, along with the whole section, elected him as vice-president to let him represent the elementary students.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I guess I forgot.¡± Sachen grazed her nails on the back of her head. During the first and second week of school, each section had to elect their own president and a vice president. Grades and extracurricular work mattered a lot, and people like Kuraizang would obtain an easy chance of winning the elections; but as it came with stress, few people dared to run.


    The elementary students hushing their mouths and standing with arms straight to the side, Kuraizang started to speak.


    ¡°The school day has ended. Since today is Thursday, I can tell that all of you are looking forward to the weekends. However, before you take off, we must commence a minute of silence in honor of this flag... do not groan! We do this every time, as a way to show our respect for the forefathers that had built this village for our sake! You see the flag? What do you think the dove represents?¡±


    The students cocked their heads, and at once did they raise their hands.


    ¡°Salvation for all of us!¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Kuraizang said. ¡°The dove is the pathway to the heavens. We must be diligent and good-hearted in order to get to such place. Now, I will shut my mouth, so that we can start.¡±


    Kuraizang then stepped aside for the president of the elementary section. Straight hair and narrow eyes, she snarled, and the students fell quiet. Without greetings, she shouted for the commencement of the ceremony.


    Along with the intermediate and high school students, the kids formed columns of their own. They straightened themselves with their limbs numbing once they got into position, and nobody swung or leaned to the side. All at once, the students placed their hands over their hearts. The flag still drifting, silence ensued. For a moment, Neha and Sachen cut off their breaths, stiffening their lungs. Sachen fidgeted her body every second or so, and she tried to maintain her balance. Dandelion seeds scattering about the air, Neha blinked, her eyes became watery, a single sneeze from her could push her presence into the spotlight. Good thing the girls said nothing; the gods above them were relishing in such silence.


    The clock struck two, and the students relaxed from their postures. The Young Guards thanked them for their time, and they headed back to the school for their extracurriculars. Once again, the kids fired words and laughter out of their mouths, and soon, they went home through the gates. Breaking away from the masses, Sachen tailed the Young Guards. Neha followed her.


    ¡°Where are you going Sachen?¡± Neha clasped her chest, and panted.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Kuraizang! Because you know... I want to get to know him! Even though we are in the same grade, we have never talked with him. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡±


    Sachen reached for the doorsteps, and as she opened her mouth to call Kuraizang, Neha snatched her arms. By this time, the Young Guards were gone. ¡°Sachen, don¡¯t be so hasty. I mean, Kuraizang must be busy.¡±


    ¡°Busy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I heard from the classmates that Kuraizang is preparing for something important. All I could recall was this: ¡®Kuraizang is going to impress the High Order by his willingness to cooperate with them.¡¯¡±


    Sachen shrugged, she removed Neha¡¯s grip from her arms. ¡°Sounds boring to be honest. Oh well, if the High Order wants him, then I¡¯m not willing to bother. The High Order after all, is a powerful group.¡±


    Sachen gazed back at the flagpole, and pinched Neha¡¯s elbow. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here. I want to go to bed.¡±


    ¡°You should have slept earlier.¡±


    ¡°I know! But my brother kept waking me up.¡±


    Walking towards the gates, the girls left school for the day. They cheered upon the three-day weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Amidst the assignments that they had to do, they wanted to enjoy themselves for now.


    They arrived at the center of the village, where the villagers flooded the place in such a large number that one wouldn¡¯t make out the layers of the streets well. Afar, a group of quarry workers hauled minerals and stones on a wagon, and they signaled people to move out of the way. The stack of the haul sunk the vehicle slowly to the ground, its wheels squeaked like mice. They worked on an average of ten hours a day, so of course their days ended in either a large quantity of resources or nothing at all, which they feared everyday that the latter consequence could degrade their overall performances.


    The sparkles and transparency of the minerals took Neha¡¯s breath away. ¡°Wow, look at those shiny stuffs. They must be diamonds or some sort.¡±


    ¡°Diamonds?!¡± Sachen cast her eyes at the wagon and ran towards it. She tried to grab the most shiny diamond, but the workers passed on to the southern district. If she had succeeded in doing so, then the wagon might have fallen apart.


    ¡°Oh man, I was about to get one for you...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Besides, those minerals are important, so we shouldn¡¯t tamper with them.¡±


    ¡°Shucks.¡± Sachen kicked the dirt, and the dirt tainted her toenails. ¡°I bet they will use them for decorations or something.¡±


    The girls then continued their strolls. They observed along the way, all walks of life and flesh, from lumberjacks, to seamstresses, to blacksmiths, to much more. Everybody regardless of age and gender had a place in the community, and they were willing to work hard for the sake of a reward¡ªthat was, salvation. The High Order of the Celestials, the leading administration and sole power of the village since the beginning, started to preach such salvation when long ago their progenitors supposedly received a divine vision from the gods. Though one couldn¡¯t fathom the experience of salvation itself during mortal living, it was the ultimate prize, the pathway to eternal happiness. Hearing that in service every Sunday, the villagers would crack their necks and break their backs for it. No matter if hardships and suffering could bring the worst of their stress, they believed that such a thing was the only way to lead themselves out of earthly struggles, that it would pay off in the end.


    Traversing around the center, the duo was about to go home. Before they could, Neha¡¯s stomach growled. Neha grabbed her dress and her face crimsoned; her cheeks were burning. Sachen let out a grin.


    ¡°Ah, poor Neha, you must be hungry! The lunch you had is not keeping you full?¡±


    ¡°It does...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t lie, you really want something to eat for now. Tell you what, let¡¯s go to the northern district and grab a bite, okay?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to burden you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Sachen slapped her back. Despite Neha continuing to refuse her gracious offer, Sachen snatched her friend¡¯s hand and led her north from the center.

 Chapter 2: Encounter

    They were at the northern district. At the left row of the buildings, the aroma of cuisines from various restaurants undulated the air. The places slapped high prices on their dishes due to the methodical and delicate nature in their preparations, so it tended to steer away the common folk. Only the privileged and rich could go there all they wanted, they had as much time as their salaries, and such classes provided the restaurants much profit to keep their establishments afloat. Like the majority however, the girls lacked money to afford it for their satisfaction, and they dreamed of being part of the rich, especially Neha. But when they pulled their own pockets, dust bunnies puffed out.


    Across the streets from the restaurants, commotions flooded the local markets. The markets were the places that most people could pay from their own pockets, the produce they needed for their daily lives. At the moment, buyers were quarreling with the shop owners over fruits and vegetables. From quality, to prices, to edibility, they never caught a break, and the flood of insults and threats made things more tense. Neha and Sachen avoided the place all together, they always knew it was better for their parents to shop there on their own.


    Near the end of the markets, the girls went up to a fence that contained a vast group of livestock. Sheep, pigs, chickens, and cows, they waddled towards the crowd. Most of them were raised in the grasslands, a place that farmers resided in isolation though not too far from here, but it mattered less than their output of animals into the market. Then out of the blue, a pig huddled to Sachen¡¯s side, and it made her jump. In response, the girl stared at the pig and snorted her nose. The pig leering, it scraped its hooves and looked as though it was ready to headbutt the little kid with all its might. Sachen stretched her cheeks, opened her nostrils, and wagged her hands. The pig shook in place, and it cowered to the corner. Neha laughed from such a display.


    The duo turning left towards the end, they entered the street full of food stands. This was the holy land to many people, they could grab a quick bite and have their stomachs bloated, and it would nonetheless bring a grin on their faces. From pork dumplings, to caramel apples, to kalach breads, and more fares, the place left the girls in amazement. Their mouths gaped and drool leaked out from the corners of their lips.


    A succulent, sugary aroma from afar magnetized them. The girls hurried to the food stand at the very end of the street, their lips and tongue were starting to dry up quick as a desert. When they arrived, they saw an old lady at the custard tart stand. From the oven by her side, she pulled out a fresh tray of the products, and soon welcomed the girls.


    ¡°Greetings you two. What can I get you today?¡±


    Sachen leapt, she ogled her eyes at the food. ¡°I¡¯ll get two tarts please!¡±


    ¡°One for you, and one for her? All right. That will be four gold coins.¡±


    ¡°Four gold coins!¡±


    Sachen then rummaged through her tote bag in search of her precious coins that her parents gave her as allowance. Licking her lips, she couldn¡¯t wait to eat it. Her hands excavated along her books, erasers, and pencils, and she invested more time for this pursuit than her class lectures. Being a kid with hasty urges, which it was perfectly normal for her age, Sachen desired to satisfy herself so much that she continually giggled. But then it was that she reached the bottom. No sooner did she stop and wince, a face that brought pins and needles on Neha¡¯s skin. Sachen found only three gold coins.


    ¡°Rats, I am broke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accept that my dear,¡± the woman said. ¡°You can come next time.¡±


    Sachen grumbled and sulked to the side. Looking at her with sympathy, Neha foraged her own tote bag. She pried her hands inside, her school supplies scathed her fingers and dented her nails. Neha felt determination to find at least a glimmer of gold for her friend, for leaving Sachen like this would spoil their days, and perhaps, would leave the two of them hungry.


    She quickened her search by pushing her supplies out of the way, but despite her efforts, she reached the end, empty-handed. Neha lowered her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sachen, I don¡¯t have a single coin.¡±


    Sachen stuck out her lower lip. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I should be the one saying sorry, because you are hungry.¡±


    ¡°Please, I am fine.¡±


    They sighed and dangled their arms. Not persuaded in the slightest of their expression, the old woman prepared another batch of custard tarts. Upon the presence of her finished products, people flocked to her area, they slammed their coins on the fare and took a large bite as soon as they bought the food. Those tarts were humongous as two hands combined, enough to swell one¡¯s belly. The mere sight of them grew the hunger of the girls to the point where they might have beg on their knees for the food, a humiliating gesture that could or could not work.


    They billowed their breaths. They turned away from the food stand, and squeezed their way out of the growing crowd. As they stopped their steps, a woman had passed by them. She poked their shoulders. Right away, the girls bounced and turned to her with beady eyes, carrying a thought that the woman must have came as a miracle. Rolling up her sleeves and wiping the dust from her maroon robes, the woman adjusted her pointed hat. Her hat bore stars and comets as a design, it gave off the impression that she might have gotten it from outer space, and it was quite an odd design in the midst of plainness of the villagers¡¯ clothing. Not many people would wear that kind of hat upon their heads.


    Around her neck was a necklace that held an emerald. The jewel shimmered, more so than the ones that the girls encountered from the quarry workers. It was something that mesmerized them for a moment from the concern about their lack of money. The woman brought herself down to their heights, and patted their heads.


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    ¡°Oh dear, what do we have here. Two little sparrows, Neha and Sachen! It has been a while since I¡¯ve seen you guys, and it is quite a miracle from the sky for me to meet you out of all places! Come to me, for the people are getting rowdy and animalistic over the most simple concoctions made by a random old hag!¡±


    ¡°Usheniko! The witch!¡± Sachen shielded Neha and opened her arms. The woman gasped, slapping her own chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be defensive on me guys! I just want to say hello!¡± Usheniko said, she twisted her silver hair.


    ¡°If we respond to your words, then you might get us into one of your evil schemes from the underworld!¡±


    ¡°But you just responded,¡± Neha said. Sachen fumed.


    Usheniko stretched out her arms, she then yawned. ¡°Gullible you guys are, but I¡¯ll give you a pass! So girls, what is your problem today? Don¡¯t tell me... I got this! Neha, you¡¯re in love with somebody! Love at first sight, indeed it is!¡±


    Redness erupted on Neha¡¯s face again. ¡°N-no! I am not in love!¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m sure you are! Nobody can reject you in your innocence and your kind-hearted nature, and those are pretty good traits for a nine-year old. For Sachen however, she is a feisty one who keeps losing her school supplies.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard that!¡± Sachen flicked Usheniko¡¯s robes, and felt the urge to pull the individual into an alleyway and tussle with her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fret Neha!¡± Usheniko said. ¡°I will make your fortunes come true! You shall walk through the laurels of your labors and compassion, only to meet the love of your life at the end of the aisle! But in the end, I am speculating. Of course kids like you don¡¯t understand love yet; someday you will. Back to my serious side... what is your problem for today? Hmm?¡±


    The girls became flustered. While they tried to find the right answer to her question, Usheniko hummed tunes to herself. Her voice soon creating croaks, she squirmed her ears and pulled out a set of orbs from her pockets. The woman¡¯s cheeks and eyes wrinkled as though she became a caricature of a cartoon; it was then that she juggled the orbs. Although the act seemed plain to many, it broke the girls¡¯ stomachs and tickled their sides. They chortled.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally having a giggle!¡±


    Neha laughed louder than expected, she then realized it with rapid palpitations in her heart. She calmed her breath and leaned over to Sachen.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll tell you. The problem is that we only have three gold coins, so we can¡¯t afford to buy two tarts over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s all? Nothing extraordinary or fantastic with your problem, I suppose.¡± Usheniko twisted her lips into a pout. She knitted her fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Neha said, she sighed. Usheniko whimpered and pinched the Neha¡¯s eyebrows, for it was impossible to ignore such an expression from the girl.


    Usheniko¡¯s pout went away. The corner of her lips curved, and there formed above her head a light bulb; the woman dug her hands through her pockets. To the girls, she could pull anything right off the bat, from a box full of kittens to a giant dragon. Running away was a viable option, and if they weren¡¯t able to do so, then they could prosecute Usheniko for reckless endangerment. But it¡¯d have been funny if she did indeed pull out a dragon.


    Usheniko then stopped. Sparkles coated her eyes, her grin became bigger. From the bottom of her left pocket, she swiped out one gold coin and bestowed it to Sachen.


    ¡°Voila! My God, I am a witch that is supposed to deal with problems involving the unnatural side of nature¡ªbut at the moment, I am giving my precious¡­ my precious coin! The only one I have left for today, its fate lies in your hands! It¡¯s not like I am completely poor or anything, you know! I just happened to spend all my money on a new tent! Never mind me young ones, now go and get the food of your dreams!¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much Usheniko!¡± Sachen said, she rattled the coins in her hand. ¡°Neha is starving, and I don¡¯t want to leave her like this for the day.¡±


    ¡°Goodness Sachen, you are actually considerate of your best friend! How wonderful of you! Well, what are you waiting for guys? The food ain¡¯t going to eat itself! Or else, do you want the birds to snatch it?¡±


    Hair standing from their napes, the girls shook Usheniko¡¯s hands and gave their gratitude. As they took flight to the custard tart stand, Usheniko shouted, she almost flung her hat in the air.


    ¡°In return for my heart giving out a good gesture, you two shall visit my place tomorrow morning! I will provide you a consultation of your lifetime! And maybe some professional, not-so-fake magic tricks!¡± Usheniko departed the place. She guffawed and held her stomach.


    The girls bought the food they desired and they left the concession. They cast their eyes on the fluff of the tarts, which it resembled clouds, and were so soft to the touch that one finger could deflate it in no time. The golden glaze glittered like diamonds, and it dazzled brighter than the afternoon sun. The girls sucking their salivas, they ate without a moment of hesitation. The moment it entered her mouth, Neha shrilled. The egg custard, the sprinkles of sugar, the bits of almonds, it overall ruptured her palates. The sweetness cast her into moans and swayings of her head, and it almost sent her into a wonderland.


    ¡°It¡¯s tasty isn¡¯t it?¡± Sachen said as she finished up her tart. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten this in a while! Ah, so good!¡±


    Neha ate the tart crumbs on her palms. ¡°It¡¯s yummy. Thank you Sachen, for being able to pay on your part. I will repay you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Don¡¯t worry much about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Well let us go home now, I am tired.¡±


    ¡°Me too, ugh!¡±


    Their stomachs being full, the girls held each other¡¯s hands and smiled. They frolicked through the bustling north with nothing but the vanquishing of their hunger, they expected to come to this area yet again if they had time.


    The weekends were dawning soon, and the girls endeavored to make the best out of the coming days.

 Chapter 3: Fortune

    ¡°Well hello there, my fair ladies! Welcome to Usheniko¡¯s super-duper fantastic tent, where I can give you the most accurate consultations in the history of mankind! Voila!¡±


    Her abode welcomed the eyes of Neha and Sachen. In the middle of the tent, a maroon carpet draped over a table, and it held a crystal ball that dimmed from its brightness every few seconds. To their left, wooden carvings of animals, colorful feathers, and broken sticks occupied the bookshelf; Usheniko had a fondness of these objects, she collected them for her amusement, and she probably got it somewhere in the underworld.


    When one of the carvings seemed to move, Neha hyperventilated. She crossed her arms and released a squeal. She looked at them again, only to find out that it was only the dust from the objects that moved.


    Usheniko led them to the two chairs in front of the table, and the girls took their seats. ¡°Good early afternoon! You came in quite early today, I am astonished!¡±


    ¡°You were knocking at our doors before you scurried off like a squirrel,¡± Sachen said.


    Usheniko leapt from her chair, her eyes hollowed holes. ¡°How do you know that it was me?!¡±


    ¡°You chanted your name like a million times,¡± Neha replied, ¡°so of course it was so obvious.¡±


    ¡°Smart girl. But I swore I cast a spell so that you guys would not hear me talk until you arrive at my tent. Oh, woe is me!¡±


    Sachen grinned, wiggling her shoulders. ¡°Haha, your trick isn¡¯t going to work this time! So let¡¯s go on with it! Hurry!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient.¡± Usheniko wagged her finger. ¡°I have to analyze this wonderful sphere first before I can give you the consultations! Now, did you know that this sphere came from the heavens. As a matter of fact, the primogenitor of my family saw a dragon spitting out this object as a sign of trust and goodwill, and it represented the willingness of the heavens to place trust on us. Our family started to get into the consultation and psychic business, in order to guide humans to the right paths. We have since served the three previous Leaders, not counting the current ones.¡±


    Neha giggled. ¡°That¡¯s very interesting. Mind if you tell us more?¡±


    ¡°Sure! It¡¯s not everyday that somebody is interested in my family past-¡±


    A bulge protruding from her forehead, Sachen jumped. ¡°Hurry up already, you broom-flying witch!¡±


    ¡°Golly! A witch?! My heart shrivels. I am descending into depression. And I am not going to play you with one of my board games next time Sachen, if you want to keep calling me a witch!¡±


    ¡°What? So you won¡¯t play snakes and ladders with me? Unfair! No I shouldn¡¯t say that. I¡¯m sorry madam, I take that back!¡± Sachen dropped herself to the ground and bowed. Usheniko laughed it off.


    The woman then announced the start of the consultation, and the girls spurred themselves into great interest for their fortunes. They¡¯d visit their friend when they had the time, and they always received weird fortunes that seemed to be coincidental to their daily lives, like finding a dead bird or getting a feather stuck on their hairs. But for today, whether the results would be inspiring or disappointing, appreciation was the appropriate response.


    Rubbing the crystal ball and scanning the specks and smudges of the object, the consultant hooted with a fluctuation in her voice. The two girls couldn¡¯t help but snicker. Usheniko then planted her face so close to the ball, that it was absorbing her attention all together, as though it could suck her into another world. She hovered her hands around it and thrust her fingers against the glass.


    A few moments later, she raised her head up, blinked to get the dust off her eyes, and twirled around her seat. She sat back down.


    ¡°The gods have answered my plead!¡± The girls applauded and nodded. ¡°Why thank you, thank you very much! It was hard to get a face-to-face chat with one of the gods, but I have finally got them to talk for a few minutes before they disappear on me.¡±


    ¡°So what did they say about us?¡± Neha asked.


    Sachen rocked her seat. ¡°You better not give us any baloney!¡±


    The duo, in quite a haste, kicked their feet in the air and bent their backs, it made Usheniko burst into a sweat. With endless shivers, the woman¡¯s eyes glanced around the tent, she grated her teeth on her fingernails. Spinning around once more, Usheniko opened her mouth and widened her eyes, but so much as her face was showing such expression that got the girls raising their eyebrows.


    ¡°My little sparrows, curious ones are you? Hearken my words, for I shall give you the fortunes you need in your lives! Drumroll please¡­ okay! Let me start off with Sachen¡¯s fortune, as I need to suppress her supposed impatience. Sachen, in terms of your school life, you will pass with average grades, and an average standing among your classmates. However, you will not allow that to stop you to pursue your dreams! You aspire to be a food critic, since you always make a comment about your mother¡¯s cuisine, as you eat every single morsel of her dishes. An easy job you thought¡­ well, you are in for a hellstorm of angry chefs, raw foods, and low-standard restaurants!¡±


    ¡°A food critic? Haha, as if I¡¯ll ever become one!¡±


    Sachen¡¯s stomach belched, and she blushed. ¡°Okay, that totally wasn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    ¡°Hungry Sachen? You came in just in time!¡± Usheniko laughed to herself. She ambled to the corner of the tent, and pulled out something from the scorching oven. The ashy, charcoal smell wrenched the nostrils of the girl, she curled back and tightened her shoulders. Usheniko then presented her creation.


    ¡°Look at this! A muffin sprinkled with sugar, and covered in egg yolk! This might be the best thing to come out of the oven!¡±


    ¡°Um, why does the muffin have eyes?¡± Neha inquired. The ¡®eyes¡¯ were slipping away from the top of the muffin. They had red dots and wrinkles on them.


    ¡°Those are almonds! I worked hard to make them look like eyes! Pretty rad isn¡¯t it? They might come to life if I just sprinkle a little bit of fairy dust.¡±


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    The duo caressed their arms, their skin ran goosebumps in shock and awe of the muffin. They hoped to never salivate upon the sight of such a food. ¡°Since I will become a food critic when I grow up,¡± Sachen said, ¡°then I can say that for your cuisine, it looks absolutely dreadful. Even a baby can cook something better than that!¡±


    ¡°Ouch, how can you say that when you haven¡¯t tasted it¡­¡± Usheniko groaned, clouds developed above her head and drizzled. The woman chucked the muffin back to the oven. ¡°My heart hurts, my soul is crushed by your arrow of words.¡±


    Considering it to be a victory, Sachen drummed her chest until Neha stopped her. Usheniko got back on her feet and continued to provide the consultation¡ªshe ogled at Neha.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track shall we? Neha! You are quite a beautiful young girl, so it makes sense for your fortunes to be blessed with luck and prosperity! In the future, absolutely likely, you will have a boyfriend that you can fawn over all day and night. That boyfriend will shower you with his love, give you gifts, and even propose you to marry him.¡±


    Turning crimson like a lunar eclipse, Neha gyrated around her chair. Words from the woman¡¯s mouth served nothing to her head but an awful lot of confusion. ¡°Boyfriend? Proposal? No, that¡¯s too much for me!¡±


    ¡°Do not be embarrassed Neha! There is more to that anyway! You will work in a charity that supports the needy and the homeless. You will do nothing but that, and in the end, your life will be filled with happiness. You will bring upon them your own compassion and strength.¡±


    ¡°Charity? That sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    Her fortune might have sounded unthinkable outside of her capabilities, but Neha was thankful for hearing it at least. Amidst her initial embarrassment, she wished for such things to happen in the future. When she imagined her future husband, being in sophisticated clothing and holding a bundle of flowers, a fuzz occurred in her chest.


    Usheniko scratched her tongue with her teeth. She retreated her gaze back to the crystal ball, before looking up.


    ¡°So, what do you think girls? Are my fortunes legit crazy? Or perhaps they are true to the stars above your head?¡±


    ¡°For me, it¡¯s funny!¡± Sachen said. ¡°However, I believe that it will come true¡­ I don¡¯t think I have any other options than to be a belly-filler! So, it sounds good to me.¡±


    Neha nodded. ¡°Although my fortune sounds quite strange, I accept for what I will become in the future. The boyfriend part... yeah, I don¡¯t know about that. Regardless, you are a wise person Usheniko, like an old man, so we can trust on your words!¡±


    ¡°Aw shucks, you¡¯re making me red.¡± Usheniko scratched the beauty mark next to the right corner of her lips. The clock ticking near the table, she sighed. ¡°Wow, look at the time there! It¡¯s been half an hour, and I¡¯m afraid I have to close the session! Ah, Neha, I forgot to remind you! I will make your lunch for school next week, so please come visit early okay?¡±


    ¡°O-okay, I¡¯ll pick it up in the morning!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry too much about it. I heard your mother is not feeling well lately, so I don¡¯t want her to cook while she is sick with a condition. Well, so long fellows!¡±


    Sachen stretched her legs. ¡°Thank goodness. I might have fainted if she had kept us for the whole day.¡±


    Sachen and Neha got up from their seats and blessed a good day to Usheniko. Departing the tent, the girls returned to the streets of the northern district that were crammed with people at this time. They giggled and fawned over their own fortunes, as it seemed apparent to them that prosperity would come to their doorsteps. They could dream all they wanted about it, but perhaps that reality itself forced them to think that they should work hard for their fortunes to come true.


    The breezes of the air massaged their skin and heads. The sun weaved the sky with its rays of light. Clear clouds and flapping birds, the weather rendered the girls¡¯ day perfect for recreation, but as it was in this moment, they had no clue to how to spend the first day of the weekends. Going to the food stands again, running around the village, playing board games, there was never a lack of entertainment.


    But with a lot of things, what did the girls desire to do?


    As they exited the tent, countless villagers swarmed the food stands and pushed them to the side. They almost tumbled to the brick walls of a tavern, but they retained their balance. Then it was out of nowhere, that the duo hit somebody from behind. They plunged to the ground and raised their heads. Their eyes lurched to a woman that was walking her way out of the crowd. In consideration did they feel the necessity to apologize, and possibly beg for mercy, which might be humiliating even as they were children.


    Just as they were about to utter something, the person squinted, she hissed under her breath. She clutched her hands onto the hood of her robe and removed it from her head. Disheveled hair, pale skin, sharp pupils, and cold skin, her appearance trembled the girls, they never seen this person before. They couldn¡¯t close their eyes no matter how much they tried; perhaps the woman had enchanted them.


    ¡°Hey you two,¡± the person said, sneering. ¡°You happen to know where Usheniko is?¡±


    Sachen tilted her head. ¡°Usheniko? Do you have business with her?¡±


    The person arched her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    ¡°Well then... she is in that tent.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Stay cautious, girls. The name is Azukunika...¡± The woman swayed her head and smiled, showing her teeth. She then entered the tent.


    Scratching their heads, the girls stood before the place. From first impressions they found her quite peculiar, maybe she was a foreigner of some sort that happened to speak their language. Sachen considered her to be another passerby, and with Neha, the girls thought of ignoring the woman to continue enjoying their time together. But curiosity had suspended them. What was the stranger¡¯s purpose in visiting this abode, out of all places?

 Chapter 4: Joyful Time

    The winds whistled and swished the tent. The girls kept themselves quiet, their feet were throbbing and stepping on imaginary razors. It felt like to them that Usheniko would kick the woman out for intruding without appointment. If so, they were ready to act upon measures of protecting their friend, and such a thing might happen¡ªonly in their heads.


    It occurred otherwise. Inside the tent came laughter and cheers, which got the duo petrified for a moment. They then walked to the drapes and took a peek inside.


    Usheniko was sobbing. She hugged Azukunika, her tears streamed along the latter¡¯s robes. She held her so tightly that Azukunika could turn into mush. An unexpected sight.


    ¡°Azukunika, my precious daughter! You are here, oh my goodness! I miss you so much... how have you been in your time at prison? Good, okay, bad? I thought you were dead for good! You still haven¡¯t told me to why you were arrested, for I only heard about your sentence! I should have been there for you when you were hurting yourself. I have returned and settled in this village for a year so far, so I have to know what¡¯s up. Don¡¯t worry my dear, our family is calling for you to come back, although they are far away! That¡¯s why I am saving up money so that I can visit them with you! Why, have you changed your hair color? Silver into black, that¡¯s pretty cool! God, you always tie your hair in a braid, and now you let it loose! But nonetheless, how come you are here now? Did the Holy Army decide to let you go?¡±


    Azukunika bowed halfway as an answer to all her questions. Her ¡®mother¡¯ continued to embrace her until she ran out of breath. Usheniko then took her to the bookshelf and let Azukunika browse through the contents, each of them Azukunika gave nothing but groans. Upon the spectacle, the duo could barely believe this, they thought they were dreaming. They backed away from the tent and chuckled with shaky voices.


    ¡°Um Neha, did that witch just call the woman ¡®my precious daughter?¡¯¡± Sachen¡¯s arms and legs stiffened. ¡°Let me guess. It must be that Usheniko is a mother?!¡±


    Neha yelped, a series of pulses crammed her brain. ¡°W-what? You can¡¯t presume that so quickly!¡±


    ¡°I remember Usheniko saying that she is in her thirties, and that she was once married to a man that had died. This is odd, I have never heard that she has a kid. That¡¯s kind of cute that she has one! And her kid is that tall? She must be twenty years old or something.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t interfere though. If they are meeting each other once again, then all is good right?¡±


    ¡°Right...¡±


    ¡°So let us move on from that. They are family, and we cannot jump into their affairs.¡±


    ¡°Geez, I just want to know about them, especially the part about Azukunika being in prison. Hmm, I¡¯m starting to believe that Usheniko is harboring more things in the darkness, and that¡¯s why she is conspiring with the demons in the underworld-¡±


    Neha clamped Sachen¡¯s lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Sachen. Maybe we¡¯ll find out later.¡±


    ¡°R-roger that.¡±


    Neha freed her lips, and Sachen took a breather. As Usheniko and Azukunika conversed, the girls¡¯ curiosity grew. They wondered what had happened between the two, but for now, they diverted their focus away from it since it began to boggle their minds.


    The girls wandered to the eastern district. The school was closed, and the flag continued to fly upon the flagpole. Across the school, clinks and clanks from the blacksmith¡¯s workshop flinched the girls, the sounds crept up to their necks. Stopping herself, Sachen crossed her arms and looked around for a while. She then gasped.


    ¡°Neha, I got something that both of us can do! We can go to the forest of the east, and hang out at the river!¡±


    ¡°T-the river? Isn¡¯t that where we are not supposed to go? Because I heard that it¡¯s dangerous, there might be bears and leeches.¡±


    ¡°Since I am a strong girl, I¡¯ll protect you from those beasts.¡± Sachen patted Neha¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry a bit, because we¡¯re going to just have fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on Neha, we¡¯re only going to be there for a couple of hours. I got your back, so just have fun okay?¡±


    Her head shaking, Neha flushed. She flopped her lips and tried to say yes or no to her friend. It seemed difficult to choose. They had not ventured in the forest for a while, so the potential of them getting into danger was great. Neha wanted the both of them to go home, so as to appease their parents and prevent them from questioning their whereabouts, the latter being a child¡¯s worst nightmare. But by the seconds, Sachen thrilled, she became too excited to ignore.


    The smile from Sachen wrapped Neha into a bind. Soon she locked in her answer.


    ¡°Okay Sachen, I will go with you.¡±


    Sachen¡¯s sides tickled all the sudden. ¡°Really?! Thanks, you¡¯re the best Neha, hehe!¡± She then squeezed Neha. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now!¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re only going out for a couple of hours. I don¡¯t want to get in trouble with our parents.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Sachen dragged Neha to the end of the eastern district. Before them was a gate; it was in fact, part of a single wall that encircled the perimeter of the village. Rumor had it that the wall had stood for centuries, none of the villagers knew who built it. Upon the discovery that the material was mainly concrete, the forefathers of the village flabbergasted, they couldn¡¯t believe that a material like concrete existed. They were unable to replicate it within their production; but then they came to believe that the heavens had already built the protection they needed for their settlement.


    At the place, a pair of guards from the Holy Army was patrolling the area. Staying there day and night, with their chins high and their eyes hawking at everything, they let nothing in their way. Although the personnel rotated every now and then, they remained on guard, and the girls deemed passing through them impossible. But today was their lucky day.


    Panting and dying to remove their armors, the guards slumped at the wall. They chatted for a while, before they succumbed to nods and snores. Without the will to work for the rest of the hours, they let their guard down. Sachen pumped her fist and smirked, Neha sucked on her own lips.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°We should ask permission from them, you know¡­ hey, wait!¡±


    Sachen zipped by Neha and stumbled to the doors of the wall. Panicking, Neha caught up to her friend, she then grabbed her shoulders. The two girls lurched at the doors, and Sachen watched her sides left and right; she confirmed that the guards were still sleeping. With sweat covering her eyelids, Sachen slipped off, along with Neha. They made it to the other side, their chests quivered and softened in relief. The forest before them, they made way for the area that they had visited on occasions.


    The scent of pine trees sharpened the air and stung the girls¡¯ lungs. Leaves and twigs buried their feet, those things pricked their skin so hard that they could shed dead skin faster than a snake. Along the way, squirrels and dragonflies flocked around them and begged for company with their squeaks and buzzes. Neha giggled, while Sachen swatted them away from their path. The animals scurried off. Much to their surprise, the trees reached so high to the clouds that they could pierce the heavens and cover the sky in green. Goodness, if they were to climb on the trees, then they might have the capability to touch the clouds.


    They journeyed deeper. Around them, the trees packed close to each other, with their branches coiling and twisting together. They cast a huge umbrella of shade, so it cooled off the girls in the warm weather of August. As they walked, the place seemed to last forever as though that was all the world could offer; there must be a boundary somewhere far, although under any circumstances could they reach it anyway.


    The girls halted. They glanced at the area ahead of them. Slicing the earth in half, the river washed along the surface a couple of stray logs and pebbles. The water splashed and crashed on the soil, droplets sprang towards the girls and iced their bodies. The two of them cheered.


    Sachen submerged her feet on the water, and goosebumps hatched on her skin. ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡±


    ¡°I know right?¡± Neha dipped her toes before sinking her legs in. ¡°I mean, after a while, you start to get used to it¡­ but goodness, it¡¯s chilling my feet!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make you even colder, hehe!¡± Sachen lowered her body, and with open hands, she splashed water towards Neha.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t do that too suddenly Sachen! Hmm... I¡¯ll do it to you too! Take this!¡±


    Drawing a distance and flaring their faces with scowls, the two girls paddled water at each other. Neha slowly dipped her hands and launched a large scoop. For Sachen, she splashed the surface to no end, creating a torrent. As Neha was getting close to her, Sachen tracked back and accelerated her firepower, and by then, Sachen managed to soak Neha¡¯s tunics. Neha lowered her shoulders, her teeth were rattling.


    ¡°What are you waiting for Neha? Drench me, before you¡¯ll lose!¡±


    Sachen¡¯s hands grew numb, but she kept on going. Neha stood there, she waited until her friend ran out of strength, albeit getting more drenched than ever. Then at the right moment, Sachen let loose of her arms; veins brightened and pulsated on her skin. An idea from the top of her head, Neha made a counter. She ran to her friend and opened her arms, squeezing her as to not let her slip away. Neha laughed.


    ¡°I got you Sachen! My clothes are wet and heavy, so you¡¯re also soaked like me! I guess it¡¯s a lose-lose situation¡­¡±


    Sachen puffed her cheeks and averted her eyes. ¡°I cannot accept this as defeat! You were the one who got drenched first! Hmph, I shall have my revenge Neha!¡±


    Knowing that it was fun and games, the duo smiled, for at the end of the day they just wanted to have a good time with each other, no harm done. They messed up their clothes anyhow, which could soon make them susceptible to the common cold and the scoldings of their parents. They stepped out of the river, wrung their tunics and pants, and twisted their hair.


    The girls still had a lot of energy, so they made the most of their time in the forest. They gathered a bunch of pine cones and showered them over their heads. The cones being stuck on their hair, they grabbed twigs and put them on top of their lips, impersonating the guards at the gate; they grunted and flexed their arms, their laughter soon spoiled the charades. The girls took the time to hunt for flowers and flexible branches, it took them almost fifteen minutes. By the time they had their hands full of the materials, they started to make wreaths. Sachen, with her awareness of details, weaved the materials together and finished her creation in no time, she broke no sweat. As for Neha, her fingers twitched. Her gatherings fell apart, she attempted many times to fix her craft, but all her efforts left her with a sigh. She shrugged, but she acknowledged that she could try harder in the future.


    The sun ascended near the horizon. The girls huffed, their bodies wore out from their fun. Neha wiped the petals off her pants and tapped Sachen on the shoulders.


    ¡°Come on Sachen, let us go home and rest.¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s over that quick? Wow¡­ whatever, at least I had fun with you Neha, that¡¯s all it matters.¡±


    The girls called it a day. With Sachen holding onto her wreath, they walked back to the depths of the forest. An exhaustion of their energy cost them so much that they were about to fall asleep on the spot.


    Thus they were heading back to the entrance of the forest. They went rather slow, they panted and slouched their backs. Too tired to talk, too tired to run. They perspired, beads of sweat dripped through their eyelashes. Sachen was ahead while Neha was trailing behind. Something then fluttered in Neha¡¯s chest, and it made her roll her eyes. Now some distortions from her tiredness occupied her eyes; the trees and dragonflies were duplicating, the leaves were turning into mush, and the ground seemed to be breathing. With a loosening of her head and arms, she shook the effects off. Neha moaned as Sachen was too far away for her to catch up in time.


    Neha increased her pace. Before she could reach her friend, Neha exhaled too much air from her lungs. Flashes from nowhere blinded her for a few seconds. Her feet jerked forward, and she tripped on a branch; her left foot arched a little. She then fell. Hearing a thump, Sachen lurched back and rushed to her friend¡¯s side.

 Chapter 5: Going Home

    Sachen examined Neha¡¯s foot. Her skin reddening and blistering as if it was about to explode, Neha squealed.


    ¡°This looks awful!¡± Sachen said.


    Her friend whimpered and held back her tears. ¡°I think I might have sprained my ankle. I can¡¯t stand up.¡± Out of the blue did Sachen rub the affected area with her hands, and Neha yelped. ¡°D-don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°My bad...¡±


    Sachen sighed. She glanced at the trees, trying to find anything that she could use for treatment; from leaves, to barks, to even a pluck of feather, she hoped to utilize them. As little as she knew how to even make something from these resources, she needed to help her friend as much as possible before it could get worse. She suggested to herself to go to the doctor, but it was a stretch in consideration of time, and she would have to steal a wagon or a cart in order to get there fast. In addition, waiting for somebody to come here was out of the question. Whether a soldier, a foreigner, or even a person from their community coming to their aid, it could guarantee them trouble, for sure the girls didn¡¯t want to go through the hassles of others. As the afternoon was closing, it was necessary to leave the area as early as ever.


    Neha¡¯s foot started to contract, and she let out a bellow. She squeezed her eyes as to alleviate the pain, but the sensation of the wound irritated her nerves, it gave her no room to relax.


    Sachen seethed since she found nothing upon the trees. As a result, she stroked her friend¡¯s head, though it made Sachen herself feel worse that she couldn¡¯t do anything much.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be all right. But we shouldn¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    ¡°I know. I-I¡¯m sorry, that I tripped. I¡¯m rather clumsy am I? I can¡¯t run through these trees without anticipating the chance to fall down or to get hurt so often, that I feel like I need to be in a bubble¡­ but how can-¡±


    Sachen covered Neha¡¯s ears with her hands. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking too much! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Sachen looked at her wound again, this time with squinting eyes. ¡°This looks like a minor injury, and it might not be a concern in a long run. Come on, let us go.¡±


    ¡°B-but I can¡¯t stand up or even walk¡­ it hurts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am here! If you can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll just have to help you!¡±


    ¡°It still hurts though. I don¡¯t think I can make it far by walking.¡±


    Sachen smirked. ¡°What are you saying? Walking? Why in the world should you walk now?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re confusing me there¡­¡±


    Sachen turned around. Her hands hovering near her hips, she wagged them. ¡°Hop on my back, I¡¯ll carry you!¡±


    Neha squirmed. ¡°C-carry me? You possibly can¡¯t. I am too heavy for you.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! You are not certainly heavy! Well, don¡¯t keep me waiting here, and hop behind me, so that I can get you out of here!¡± Sachen crowned the wreath on Neha¡¯s head, and it made the latter blush. It was as though she had become a queen, with Sachen being the throne.


    Neha stammered her words and convulsed all over the place, not a clue of what to say back, and it didn¡¯t cross her mind to say thank you as of yet. Then with a nod, Neha approached Sachen¡¯s back. She wrapped her arms above her friend¡¯s shoulders. At once, Neha hopped. She almost twisted her foot again, and the pain itched her skin, but in time did Neha land on her back. Sachen¡¯s face bloated, she turned blue.


    ¡°My goodness¡­ you¡¯re not heavy at all! This is fine, this is totally fine! Well then Neha, let¡¯s get going!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    With Neha clinging on like a baby, Sachen was ready to take off. She assumed that even with Neha on her, she could get to the gates in time before the guards would wake up. Thus she took her first step forward. A few seconds in, and she teetered with one foot. The weight of Neha gravitated Sachen to the pile of leaves behind her, about to fall into a mess. Though her knees began to be in a strain, she maintained her composure. Going from one point to another in lightning speed was better said than done, but the girls had to get out of here. They might end up like the logs on the river otherwise, and such a thought left them in quivers.


    Sachen took her first step again, and the next one, and the next one, so forth. She did this at a snail¡¯s pace. Though she had to juggle between watching her feet and paying attention to Neha, they were too important to ignore all together. Just one mistake or neglect of her attention could cost not just her legs, but also Neha¡¯s well-being, so she must move forward in the midst of the discomfort.


    She made her way out of the dense part of the forest, and already, her calves burned up and sweat blanketed her face. She wanted to take a break and beat her chest. But with Neha starting to whimper, Sachen resumed her efforts. Not more than a few moments in, she felt a punch on her stomach. The gears in her head clicked and motored, she could feel the sparks zapping her brain. A grin she displayed with her lips stretching out, Sachen bolted fast as a squirrel. She dashed and dodged the trees in her way, and blew away the dragonflies with a puff. Neha tightened her grip on Sachen¡¯s neck, she tried not to fall off.


    With the exertion of all her strength, Sachen headed to the place back where they originally came from. The eastern gate in their sights, the two girls groaned and sighed. Sachen zoomed to the doors, and saw the guards dozing off with no awareness of their surroundings. From the flush of their faces, they seemed to be drunk; the tavern was a few blocks away from here, so they might have been drinking for a while. The girls then slipped through the gate, and Sachen slowed down her pace. Neha wiggled her lips, her face tensed a little.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here! See Neha, I told you we can make it!¡±


    ¡°I-I had doubts¡­ never mind.¡±


    Neha knocked her face against Sachen¡¯s shoulders and buried herself with a flush. The girls went to the western district, a place where most of the villagers resided in a single neighborhood. The lumber-made houses, all of them had flower pots upon their windows and had a carving of the dove on their door frames, were at equal length and size; it was for the sake of efficiency and uniformity so that people could not get envious of one another. As cramped as it was with the houses huddling up to four or five inches between them, the people nonetheless lived with little troubles. As they felt no concern or incentive to modify their abodes, simply because there was limited space, it didn¡¯t bother them much.


    A couple of blocks in, and they arrived at their houses. Petals of flowers and groups of chipmunks annexed their doorsteps, and they went off as soon as they saw the girls. Their dwellings being next to each other, they lived their whole lives as neighbors. Every morning and evening, they¡¯d look at each other through the windows and make funny faces, it didn¡¯t tire them in the slightest. Their friendship couldn¡¯t get anymore closer. It was like fate and destiny decided to match them up, a good match in the end perhaps.


    Upon Neha¡¯s house, the door opened. A woman emerged and walked down the doorsteps, her eyes looked at every gaps and corners of the houses. The girls hid in the bushes besides them. Bearing a pale complexion, the sunlight scathed her skin, easy for her to get itches. Her cheeks sunk in her face, her hair was falling out, and a lack of wrinkles made it seem like she was a ghost.


    "Hey, it¡¯s your mom," Sachen said.


    "Y-yeah. I wonder why she¡¯s out right now-"


    Sachen zipped her friend¡¯s lips. In front of Neha¡¯s mother, a person in armor greeted her and bowed down. He was carrying a sack, something inside was clacking.


    His hair sparkled and his eyes looked like comets. On the person¡¯s right arm, it held a silver chevron, which signified his status as a junior officer in the Holy Army, a rank that was below a senior officer. Neha wiggled upon the sight of the personnel. Steam blew from the top of her head, she closed her eyes shut. She knew him to be her mother¡¯s acquaintance, more so her ¡®intermittent piggy bank¡¯ in the wake of hard times that her family was facing albeit the economy being in prosperity.


    ¡°It¡¯s that guy, the one that your mom always see now and then,¡± Sachen said. ¡°You know, you have quite a fancy for him every time he shows up.¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t!¡± A crimson blush marinated Neha¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s just that I get nervous around him, you know? He¡¯s so handsome, I can say.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Handsome? He looks like every other person, to be honest.¡±


    At the man¡¯s right hip was a dangling gold chain, and attached to the chain was a bulge in his pocket. No sooner did Neha tempt herself to open her hands and want to grab it, but her arms fell into numbness. She had no idea what it was, maybe it could be a family heirloom of some sort or a good luck charm.


    The girls sewed their mouths, and through the bushes their eyes poked out. They held their breaths, waiting for the adult¡¯s conversation to finish.


    The man gave the mother the sack, and the latter untied it. ¡°Tulisen, thank you for the allowance. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if you have not come this week. I really need the money.¡±


    ¡°No problem, my fair lady,¡± Tulisen said. ¡°After all, you need to get that medication again, the price for it is so high and limited in quantity.¡±


    ¡°I know, the extractors from the north are breaking their bones, from picking the right plants to confirming its composition.¡± Neha¡¯s mother squinted, her lips puckered. ¡°By the way, where are you going off today? Surely it must not be another meeting from the High Order right?¡±


    ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to go, Aijin, I have to. It¡¯s my job as a junior officer to go to meetings for the regulation of logistics and manpower. I hear that the troops are getting weary from the western campaign.¡±


    Aijin wrapped her stomach. Haze infested her eyes.


    ¡°The west¡­ that¡¯s where he still is right?¡±


    ¡°¡®He?¡¯ You mean him? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so worried about him, that I can¡¯t go to sleep at night without having demons prancing and pounding on my chest! I miss him so, I wish he can come back!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret Aijin, one day he will. Besides, the campaign will be over soon.¡± Tulisen set his eyes on his watch. He jumped back from the doorsteps. ¡°I have to go to the meeting madam. Have a nice day!¡±


    Tulisen dashed off, and Aijin gave her thanks. She closed the door. Leaving the bushes, the pair walked to Neha¡¯s house, and Sachen knocked a hundred times. The mother showed up again, and when she saw Neha, she pouted.


    ¡°Sweetie, where were you? It has been almost the whole day.¡±


    ¡°I have told you in the morning mother, did you forget?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think I did,¡± her mother said, she scratched her neck.


    Sachen stepped in. ¡°We went to the forest and played by the river. When we were about to go back home, Neha tripped, and she got a bad wound on her foot.¡±


    Aijin clicked her teeth. She looked at Neha¡¯s wound. Although the redness was subsiding, the mother shook her head as though she¡¯d blame her kid for her recklessness. She brought the girls inside the house, and Sachen placed Neha on the couch. The dust and cottons from the cushion tickled Neha¡¯s nose, she sneezed as soon as she tilted her head back to the armrest. To the left of the couch was the kitchen area, where countless utensils and food crumbs littered the stove and tables. The oven in the right side of the area roared plumes of smoke, sending it to the ceiling. Barrels and crates of dishware laid on the upper-left corner, unopened; the mother had not touched them for a while.


    Aijin grabbed something from the drawers and brought herself to her daughter. Two pieces of green-leaf herbs on her hands, she rubbed them on Neha¡¯s wound. The sensation, being more unbearable than the heat, bit and burned Neha, and she groaned immensely.


    ¡°It¡¯s not severe as I thought,¡± Aijin said. She then wrapped her daughter¡¯s left foot with a gauze. ¡°Well thanks anyway Sachen, for bringing her here. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°No problem. We were having fun the whole day, nothing serious at all. I have to go back to my house now, I don¡¯t want to be late for supper.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ bye Sachen. And thank you for carrying me all the way back.¡±


    Sachen waved at Neha and departed. Neha turned to her mother. ¡°Mother, how long is it going to heal?¡±


    All the sudden, Aijin¡¯s eyes twitched. She scratched her neck again, and a waterfall of sweat drowned her face. She uttered gibberish under her breath, looking more irritated about Neha¡¯s question than confused. She then peeked at the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know, maybe about two days, if you don¡¯t walk around and stay on the couch.¡±


    ¡°Two days? That¡¯s a relief. I thought it¡¯s going to be forever.¡±


    ¡°Forever, forever you say. If you want it to be like that, then you can stay in the living room, and for that matter, you shouldn¡¯t do strenuous exercise! You¡¯re just nine years old, there is no need to push yourself that much. By the way, I am starting to remember what you said to me about your outing before you left this morning. Why did you bother to visit Usheniko? Do you know that she is a lunatic, along with her family, that she is only scamming people for money?¡±


    ¡°Why must you say that? Usheniko is a nice woman, she wouldn¡¯t even scam people out of their pockets.¡±


    ¡°Nice? Is she nicer than me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t compare.¡±


    Aijin stuck out her lower lip. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a single bit of her fortunes anyway! There are rumors that Usheniko¡¯s daughter is here from prison, with the intention to visit her mother, which I think they could make themselves a boisterous pair. She should stay behind bars, from that treasonous act two years back! Also, how did you exactly get to the forest of the east? Did you get permission from the guards?¡±


    ¡°We merely snuck past them. They were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Sleeping?! I¡¯d have whooped their behinds if I were an officer! How dare they, not being aware that two little ones like you were scurrying through the gate! It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, as you two were not caught by the authorities.¡±


    A strong whiff of the smoke, Aijin stormed to the kitchen, disposed the burnt bread from the oven, and doused the flames inside with a bucket of water. With a pinch of her fingers, she extracted every crumb from the area and threw them to the trash. She then reached for the cupboard, her fingers slithered through the metal cans in search for blueberries. Her knuckles kept knocking the cans to the ground, and Aijin growled and bit her lips as she wanted to fix up some food quickly for her daughter. Neha watched her with rosy cheeks and sniffles; she considered to go help her parent, but her injury was weighing her down.


    After some minutes, Aijin retrieved a pouch that was full of blueberries. She ripped it open and poured the fruit into a pot. Along with water and a small dose of sugar, she stirred the ingredients with a wooden spoon. To make a simple task of cooking difficult, Aijin curved her body like she became a contortion in full, and she¡¯d always do this every time she was up and ready at the stove. She jerked the spoon and clanged it to the rim of the pot over and over, splashing the mix onto her clothes. She shrugged with a grin.


    Finishing it, Aijin streamed the blueberry soup on a porcelain bowl. She stuck a metal spoon in it and gave it to Neha. Her daughter gave her thanks, she chowed down right away. One portion entering her mouth, and the bittersweet taste strangled her cheeks and tongue. She sucked on the blueberry bits to get more of the flavor, and it then paralyzed her face for a second. In a couple of minutes did she eat all of it. She didn¡¯t expect much to receive the same food again; it was one of the only cuisines that Aijin could produce for her own kid. Aijin could have done more like adding some variety to the blueberry soup, but it might have been more arduous and irritating.


    As Neha slurped the last bits, her face reflected before the soup. She drew out her breath. Then much to her awe, she recalled something. Somebody¡¯s face formed before her eyes, a handsome one that convinced Neha for a moment that he was actually there. He might not be next to her in truth, but the girl yearned to remember him for as long as she lived.


    When a blueberry bit emerged on the surface of the soup, Neha snapped back to reality.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter my dear?¡± Her mother put her hands around the bowl. ¡°The soup is not thick enough? Here, let me get it for you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­ it¡¯s just I miss my dad.¡±


    ¡°Your dad?¡± Aijin rolled her eyes and tapped her feet. She sighed. ¡°Why do you miss him? He barely cares about this place! All for some campaign in the west, how foolish he must be!¡±


    ¡°He has been gone for a year. I really miss him, and on the night of yesterday, I had a dream in which he arrived. He took me to outer space in gazed at the galaxies and the stars, before he vanished into thin air.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your dreams must be nothing more than nightmares. Don¡¯t worry about the guy by the way. For eleven years, I endured every one of his jokes and banters about me. It¡¯s apparent that he doesn¡¯t take things seriously at all. I used to feel that I¡¯d collapse in my bedroom and die if he uttered one more joke. He is a neglectful one, he had abandoned us one year ago for the sake of getting more money by fighting barbarians. It shows how utterly vapid he is about us. Look at me Neha, look at me!¡± Aijin, retrieving the sack that Tulisen gave to her, chucked it to the floor. She grated her right foot on it, and gold coins spilled out. ¡°I am relying on a man¡¯s treasure chest, a saintly knight for a lack of better words! He keeps on giving ten percent of his income to you and me every week, as a way to keep us afloat. I can¡¯t get a single job due to my ¡®mental disease¡¯, and day by day, I am feeding on the hopes that everything will be okay. But nothing will be certainly okay, so as long as I am alive! If I can¡¯t get a job soon, then I might lose this house, and if I lose this house, and my husband will leave me, and if I lose him, then I will lose you too! I will die from some random seizures or heart attack, and you will cry all day and night. I am ashamed of myself. I am an utter disgrace to him and you.¡±


    ¡°Mom...¡±


    Aijin plucked the gold coins from the floor, putting them in a sack. She tied it up and slammed it on the table, soon she walked back to the kitchen with the urge to dispose every last bit of the soup. Neha winced, and she couldn¡¯t help but beg to the gods to cure her mother from her suffering, but it seemed that this could last forever. Neha missed her father, he had been gone for so long that she desired for him to come back. Sometimes she¡¯d plant her face against the window and wait for his return, only to feel much exhaustion; maybe it was better to forget him. With her mother being here, Neha had no choice but to focus on her alone.


    The last time that Neha saw him, he said his farewells to his family as if he was going to leave them for good. He gave his daughter hugs and kisses, and he did the same thing to his wife, though she grew hysterical about it. Neha pleaded for him not to go, and she uttered many persuasions, such as the house being full of monsters, or that Neha would die in an accident. It failed to convince him. He departed and left nothing for them, no letters, no mementos, no pictures.


    Aijin tied her hair into a ponytail, and from the kitchen she looked back at her daughter. ¡°Go eat your soup dear. And also, don¡¯t forget that we have temple service on Sunday, so we shouldn¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Temple service? Okay.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the High Order are going to hold an important meeting for the village. Something important.¡±


    She mumbled to herself while she cleaned the pots and utensils at the sink. Neha set the bowl at the table. The succulent taste of the soup erased the pain of her injury for now. Thus with that, she took a nap on the couch.

 Chapter 6: Proclamation

    The villagers flocked around the southern district, where the temple was the only building in the area. Being large and spacious, it provided enough room for the whole population to gather; from a bird¡¯s eye view of the people themselves, they looked like an ocean of flowers. On both sides of the temple, towers stood and intruded the clouds with an ornament of stars hanging on the top. A trio of arches at the front part of the building concealed a giant pair of wooden doors. There erected at the four corners of the roof some miniature spires, which the people went down on their knees and prayed upon them. Soon, all of them entered the temple. As they came, the voices of the abbots and clergymen resonated their ears, they were singing a hymn that was enough to make people shriek.


    Inside, there were sections of velvet chairs separated in countless aisles, allowing the people to find and claim their seats at ease. Clung onto the interior¡¯s walls were boxes of balconies, and those places held reservations for upper-class members of the village, such as philosophers, businessmen, and other people with well-paying occupations.


    At the opposite side of the place held a stage that the High Order would use for their services. It was shaped like a box, structured in wood panels, and it had a pair of curtains behind it. The stage itself was not the primary thing that captivated the villagers; a jade statue of a monk was there. Its color over time began to fade away due to an apathy of maintenance, and it bore the sculpture naked in a dirty yellow. To make it a bit strange to some, the statue¡¯s eyes were shut, its hands were on its lap, and overall it seemed to breathe like it was alive. Amidst the cacophony of the villagers, the monk was meditating. Nobody including the High Order knew where the statue came from or who built it; they inferred that the gods had bequeathed the object as a gift of gratitude.


    Everybody being inside, the villagers occupied their seats, and the Young Guards sat near the stage area. For the young ones, they went with their mothers and fathers. Neha and Sachen were next to each other, with their parents situating themselves two seats ahead of the duo.


    From the pain that was still on the wound, Neha squealed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sachen asked. ¡°Your foot still hurting?¡±


    ¡°My foot has already healed, thanks for asking. But this place is so creepy.¡± Neha stretched her feet, jitters spread throughout her toes.


    ¡°Creepy? Well I can¡¯t argue with that. There¡¯s barely any sunlight coming through here. I wonder who made this place though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Neha snuggled her head next to Sachen¡¯s arm, and Sachen giggled in light of her discomfort. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m starting to feel a bit weird. I want to go home¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry! It¡¯ll be over in an hour.¡±


    Her eyes widening, Sachen stared at the blank space of the stage. From this point, going to sleep was a better option than to listen to the droning voices of the High Order officials that she still could not bear every Sunday. But like everybody else, she had to power through the day. After all, her parents woke her up early for this.


    Sachen glanced at the edges of the balconies, which held a succession of portraits. They all depicted the Leaders that had ruled this village, about twenty-eight in total if one count the current ruler. In every painting, the Leaders displayed drooping eyes with soft lips, their right legs were crossed over their left. Their robes, being red and yellow, brightened the entire canvas in contrast to the dullness of their faces. It might be that the painters of such illustrations wanted to present the rulers in a weary way, so as to bring the villagers into gratefulness for their hard works.


    From the gazes of the Leaders in the portraits, Neha shivered. At any point in time could they emerge out of the painting and haunt her, though that was only part of her imagination.


    ¡°Neha, the service is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡± Neha straightened her back and brought her gaze towards the stage.


    From the door behind the statue, a line of abbots and clergymen arrived. As they went to the front of the stage, they ceased their hymns and stood. There was a clear hierarchy in the High Order; the abbots were the lowest, they abided to every order of their superiors, and the clergymen were the second-highest in the ladder. The latter tend to associate themselves with the Leaders in regards to religious matters. The Leader of course, was the top dog; he controlled and watched over everything. Every four years, the villagers would elect their next leader based on the candidates that were qualified to run, and the winner had the privilege to pick their own posse more so on their competence than social connections. But the Leader, the 28th one, did not get into power by elections. Rather, the fervor of the people and certain circumstances led him to the throne.


    The abbots holding incense sticks, the clergymen grabbed and lighted them with a match. Once the flames settled on the incenses, a bitter smell lingered through the air. The villagers at the front rows rushed to the stage and kissed the ashes that were on the floor, and the ones at the balconies laughed their hearts out. The abbots shooed them back to their seats. It was then that the clergymen placed the sticks on the ash bowl before the statue. When they were done, the officials occupied the chairs next to them.


    The door remaining ajar, a figure emerged. The crowd roared and shrilled upon his presence. As he walked to the statue, he held his stomach with his right hand and waved at the populace with his left.


    ¡°Praise the Lord of Lords, the one who is all holy to the glory of the dove and salvation!¡± Everybody chanted this with tears in their eyes, they¡¯d do this every time. The young ones imitated the adults, albeit some of them gave babbles and such. Neha and Sachen kept quiet, they winced at the hysteria since they had no incentive to join in. They shrugged and rolled their eyes.


    The crowd went silent. The Leader ambled to the podium that teetered near the edge of the stage. It was now his time to speak. He narrowed his eyes, lowered his shoulders, and flicked his robes to remove the dust. He let out a sigh.


    ¡°I hereby bless every single of you here today, and by being here, you are devoting yourself to the heavens for salvation. Now, although today is Sunday, and all of you are required to go to this temple, today will be very important. You must listen carefully of what I have to say, or else you will slip under the cracks.¡±


    Neha raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°What does he mean by important?¡±


    ¡°Surely, it must be trouble with money or something, but I don¡¯t know.¡± Sachen tilted her head down. ¡°I could care less though.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. Maybe we will have to participate in their troubles.¡±


    ¡°But we are kids. We don¡¯t know much. It¡¯s their jobs, not ours, to deal with their own stuff, you know? All we can worry about is school.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± Neha returned her attention to the podium. Sachen did the same.


    While the Leader was about to resume speaking, the people at the balconies smiled at each other and gave compliments, they had little devotion to the service. Among the crowd, somebody lurked. With tattered robes and long hair, a woman lurched at the edge of the balcony. She aimed her attention towards a woman with an emerald necklace and a pointed hat. That woman, in the midst of the villagers¡¯ silence, blabbered to herself about how her daughter was not attending service due to excuses. She remarked that she¡¯d drag her with a leash if she had to. The female at the balcony then muttered a remark, and she slammed her hands against the railings. She seethed and retreated into the crowd.


    The ruler clearing his throat, he spoke again with an increase of volume in his voice.


    ¡°It is imperative, and I should remind you all, that we have received grave news from the gods themselves. We, as a little village, are surrounded by the wonders of nature and earth. But soon, we will be surrounded by the ones we are scared of the most¡ªthat is, the tribes! The ones from the north, the south, the east, and the west have all conspired to attack us, they have broken our twenty-year peace treaty! We have done nothing wrong, and yet, they are willing to start a war against us. Such a thing makes us so scared, and it seems that we can¡¯t do anything about it! Our peace treaty is now null, and here we are, defenseless and unprepared, with little hope left. Worst of all, from the callings and beckoning of the gods, they are angry and wrathful at us. With that, we are soon to hurl ourselves into the darkness. We have clearly done something wrong, and all of you know what that is! That is right, we have failed to appease the gods, even though we have toiled and broke our bones in working hard for them! Despite the fact that about two years ago, we have suffered from famine, economic destitution, and civil war from the corruption of the previous administration, we are still here today. But our chance of survival is dim; we are beginning to lose the power to maintain this village. However, now, it is our job to reclaim our glory, by participating in this war and by crushing our foes! It is clear that we need to exert more effort to make the gods happy, so that they can support us in the upcoming war!¡±


    At the end of his words the Leader smiled. Then all around him, the officials and the villagers clapped and cried, for his words touched their hearts, and they chose to support the village as a whole in the catalyst of war. They had no doubts that the enemies could unleash ferocity, but their trust of the High Order and the gods assured them of victory.


    It was the second time that the people in the front rows invaded the stage again. With watering eyes, the Leader replied that they should not worry any longer since the Holy Army was there for them. The abbots then again stowed the people away from the stage.


    Hearing the matter about war, the kids knocked their heads against the chairs and they clung onto their parents. Chills blanketed Neha and Sachen, never did they expect for war to happen the second time in their lives. The first time war occurred in the village, they were absolutely lost in terms of the situation, but now this time they felt immense terror.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Neha latched herself onto Sachen again, not willing to let go of her. ¡°War, why must it be this way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Sachen stroked her friend¡¯s head. ¡°Maybe the bad guys will be wiped out in time, and all things will come to peace again. We are strong after all!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I like the way you think.¡±


    ¡°Yep! Maybe, they will let us fight against the enemies! With sticks and stones, we can stop them!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not sure about that. Regardless, I am still scared about the war. I don¡¯t know what it will be like, but for sure, it will hurt all of us once more.¡±


    Sachen nodded, and Neha released her embrace. They had in their heads, an impression of the upcoming conflict as full of blood and dying people. All they wanted for the rest of their lives was to live without having to feel sad or worried about everything. With such a thought however, they became uncertain; that desire might or might not come true.


    The Leader, who was quiet among the shock of the villagers, recomposed himself. His hands gripped onto the woodwork of the podium, and he creaked open his mouth. Not a single shred of sweat and tears were on his face.


    ¡°The fact that the tribes have the audacity to go against our kind is despicable. As a community, we shall support the Holy Army, for they have the experience and the capabilities to defeat the devils of the frontiers, once and for all. The farmers, the quarry workers, even the accountants, you all shall rise up and acknowledge our struggles. No matter how frail and poor you are, how haughty and prideful you may be, there is no denial that even the tiniest bit of your support will help us tremendously. We are the backbone of this village after all, and we shall continue to be one for as long as the gods will allow us to live. You shall listen to our battle cries, you shall walk a mile in our shoes just to feel our struggles, and you shall be happy and joyful that the military will be fighting for the preservation of our existence. The hordes from the outside world will burn into the scourges of their own sins. Even if we aren¡¯t in the battlefield, we shall hear from afar, the cries and moans of the ones who have caused the gods to stray away from us! Once they are eliminated, we shall relish in our glory! Long live the village!¡±


    ¡°Hurrah, hurrah! Praise Yebuka, the Lord of Lords!¡± The people stirred their words into a whirlwind, and it blasted the officials off their seats. Yebuka raised his right hand and motioned it up and down.


    ¡°But before we can do anything, before we can raise our hands for the gods, we must appeal to the heavens first and foremost! In order to do so, we must perform¡­ sacrifices! Yes, you heard me! As you can tell, the gods are hungry for fresh blood, so to have us perform them under the sky and above the earth will be considered a confirmation of our loyalty! By the heavens and their presence alone, we will, without any questions, do what it takes to make our actions meaningful. New flesh, a new beginning. The village has awoken into a new hour, one that will determine our fate for the future. If we shall die, then let us die by pushing ourselves into the fight at the last possible moment. If we shall live, then let us destroy them! Also, along with our sacrifices, we shall reinstate the tradition that we have followed since the old times: that is, the spiritual missions. As always, the High Order requires two candidates, a male and a female, regardless of age and weakness. He and she will go far away from here¡ªit will be something that requires them to endure suffering, to lose their patience, and to persevere throughout the mission. This is so that the gods will pay heed to their causes, showing that we are still devoted to salvation!¡±


    Yebuka brought his head forward, he then scanned at almost every villager in the temple. The kids, along with Neha and Sachen, shuddered and cracked their necks. They feared much of what the Leader was going to do from here.


    The pupils of the ruler grew large. He gulped saliva down his throat. When he saw Neha and Sachen, he winked at them, and it left them shaking even more. His current demeanor alone drove most people to drop their knees and beg to him that they should become the candidates. As much as they looked like fools from the upper-class citizens, they were willing to serve him at all costs. Such enthusiasm they had, their glowing faces satisfied the Leader.


    Yebuka glanced at the Young Guards and smiled. He tapped his stomach. His eyes narrowed towards a particular person.


    ¡°I have finally found a boy that can help us. Vice-President of the Young Guards Kuraizang, will you please come over?¡±


    ¡°Yes I will, my Lord,¡± Kuraizang said, he walked to the stage. ¡°I shall help you in any way you can.¡± Being there, Kuraizang bowed before the officials. They gave a round of applause and chanted his name a million times. Kuraizang then shook hands with the Leader, and in turn, the villagers hollered more and more to which their voices caused the building to shake. They considered such a gesture from the leader to be a divine one.


    Just as Sachen saw him, she grunted and folded her arms. ¡°I guess it makes sense now, from the words of our classmates about Kuraizang and his impressions.¡± She knew nothing about what the spiritual mission might involve for the boy, but it could be full of risks.


    Moving Kuraizang¡¯s bangs aside, the Leader traced a triangle on his forehead and chanted a short hymn. He then turned to the audience.


    ¡°This young man is distinguished for his honors and achievements at school. It is now time for Kuraizang to make the next step. My abbots, escort him to the back door. Change his clothes and train him until next week.¡± The vice-president walked to the back side of the statue, and the abbots led him to the door. Kuraizang departed from the Young Guards, which the president and the members of his sections said their grace and wished for him many successes in the endeavors.


    The clergymen announced that service was over for today. For whatever reasons the Leader had in mind, they said that he needed to meet one of the kids afterwards. Thus in the end, the clergymen started to escort the people from their seats. Since the villagers were still in head over heels from the Leader¡¯s speech, some of them fought and slapped the personnel. It already became a struggle, but this happened almost every Sunday, so it was normal. Then soon with the cooperation of the Young Guards, the High Order was able to push them out of the building; in a matter of minutes, the place was empty.


    Neha and Sachen were also about to depart, but the president of their section stopped them. Telling that the Leader had called for Neha, the latter refused at first. She stepped back and shook her head, fearing that he might take her to a weird place. Sachen suggested to the Young Guard member that she should accompany her friend, and the president accepted it. They walked along the aisle and reached the stage. The Leader, seeing them, brought both his arms out. The girls gave him a handshake. Sachen then retreated to the steps leading back to the aisle, scowling at the ruler and keeping watch of anything that might go wrong.


    ¡°Hello little one,¡± Yebuka said. ¡°You caught me in interest when I gazed at you, for you hold a very special aura. What is your name by the way?¡±


    Rubbing her cheeks, Neha clammed her eyes. ¡°N-Neha is my name!¡±


    ¡°Splendid! Now Neha, your father is in the military right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±


    ¡°He is working very hard at the moment, in an expedition against the enemies in the desert. That is not part of this war though, as we started to punish the evildoers a year back, but you don¡¯t have to worry. He is leading his troops well and hearty, and there are no instances that he has lost a battle, not a single one! He has a brave heart, and an assertive voice. His troops love him so, that they don¡¯t want him to be gone, and isn¡¯t that fabulous?¡±


    Neha nodded and stood firm. ¡°When will my dad come back? I miss him so much, and I worry about him every day.¡±


    ¡°Why need to ask my dear? He will come back soon. At best, with the war looming, I estimate that he will return in two months. Since the barbarians have decided to wage war against us, he will get more involved.¡± The girl curled a smile from hearing that. ¡°Say Neha, to change the subject, what do you want to be when you grow up?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I want to be a charity worker, so that I can help the poor. This nice woman named Usheniko gave me the advice to become one, and I feel grateful about it.¡± Neha chuckled to herself.


    Dark clouds then filled the eyes of the Leader. With a grimace, he heaved his stomach as though he was developing nausea. Facing the other side away from Neha, he sighed many times and uttered curses to himself. There must have been something wrong within Neha¡¯s words that allegedly offended the leader, but she did not heed to ask such a thing.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Neha bobbed her head downwards, she was about to walk off.


    Yebuka patted his stomach. Turning back to the girl, he groaned and made his posture rigid. One of the clergymen nudged at him.


    ¡°O-oh, it¡¯s nothing, nothing at all. Well Neha, it¡¯s been nice chatting with you. My apologies for looking gloomy by the way. This is out of topic, but I can sense that you hold grace and potential to become a useful person. Maybe someday you might help us. Have a nice day.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Sachen said,. She picked herself up, dragged Neha, and together they went to the front door. ¡°That guy is so creepy. Did you see the look on his face a moment ago? Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not really concerned. I just want to know when my father will come back to our side. Out of all people, I asked the Leader about the matter. Goodness me, I was so nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will come home soon! He¡¯s a good person, he will never leave you and your mother!¡±


    Sachen slapped the back of her friend¡¯s shoulders, and her smile warmed Neha. Then came comfort and reassurance for Neha that somehow and someday, her family would be one again. She hoped so.


    The girls left the temple and reunited with their families. Today¡¯s service commanded a considerable impression on the masses. Even so, the duo spun their heads as they lacked any understanding to what Yebuka¡¯s speech meant for them. Perhaps there was a meaning deep under the surface of his oratory.

 Chapter 7: Sacrifice

    The stars twinkled, and the comets split the darkness of the sky. At this hour, the students of the fourth grade elementary section were behind the temple of what people called it the ¡®domain¡¯. It was an expanse of grass that stretched all the way to the southern gate, and the grasslands lied beyond the wall. A metal fence enveloped the domain, so as to prevent the attendants from running amok.


    Right now, the kids formed a circle around a pile of logs. They held each other¡¯s hands and huddled as close as they could. The fire from the logs blazed and crackled, it warmed them so much that some of them tempted themselves to come closer to the inferno.


    Neha and Sachen joined in the circle. The latter gazed at the fire in awe.


    ¡°It¡¯s so warm! I want to get closer to it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be dangerous,¡± Neha said. ¡°Besides, I wonder how long this is going to take¡­ the sacrifice I mean.¡±


    ¡°I hope it lasts for a minute. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get bored.¡±


    ¡°If you do get bored, then you¡¯ll fall asleep in no time.¡±


    Sachen smacked her lips and slanted her shoulders. Neha let out a yawn, her eyes remained open from the brightness of the blaze. The kids were tired; they went to the temple right after school under the decree of the High Order, though the officials explained nothing in regards to why they only chose the fourth graders. It was perhaps because bringing in the whole school might cause a frenzy in the domain. Regardless, the classmates showed a lot of enthusiasm in this to-be sacred night.


    When the Young Guards of their section started to give lyrics in a hymn, the students sang along. In unison did they sway their bodies. At the same time, they moved the circle in a clockwise manner, some of them kicked their feet and bobbed their heads as though something spontaneous had infested their minds. From the hymn, their voices harmonized, and the fire burst in size. It released a storm of heat, and it caused the hearts of the students to accelerate. In light of this thriving climate, Neha and Sachen kept their mouths shut, and they stood still.


    ¡°Oh the Dove, the messenger of the gods, please come to us and grant our sanctity to heaven, so that we may live in Paradise. Oh the Dove, please smite the enemies and traitors of our entity, so that we can eternally prosper for the rest of our mortal lives. Oh the Dove, how much your wings flap and how serene your voice is, please grant mercy on our very own soul, so that we may be purged of our wrongdoings. Oh the Dove, Oh the Dove, praise the Almighty!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting dizzy, ugh,¡± Sachen said, she grabbed her belly. ¡°Get me a pillow so that I could sleep.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that now, we have to let them finish the hymn.¡±


    ¡°Well you can join their sing-along.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know the lyrics at all.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    The girls dropped their glances, they stood as the students continued their hymn. No zeal within them, they desired to go home, for they saw this event as more banal than spectacular. Hours ago, their parents forced them to go under the premise that they might learn a lot of things, even if it meant they had to miss their school assignments and dinner time. For sure, even Sachen wanted to do her homework rather than go here and dull herself.


    Whenever the tails of the fire were whipping the air, the students could not help but let their eyes burn. They moved as fast as ever in order to wade off the heat. All together, they jumped off the ground and flapped their arms as though they had wings. Then with their arms and shoulders aching, the kids plopped.


    The Young Guards stopped their hymn. The president of the group then announced the start of the sacrifice. From the entrance of the fence, a platoon of the Holy Army opened the locks and marched into the domain; No gossips, complaints, or grunts, the men arrived at the middle of the expanse.


    ¡°Hey hey, they have come!¡± said Sachen. ¡°And look at what we have there! It¡¯s your crush, Tulisen!¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to see him!¡± Neha looked back on her shoulders. It seemed that running away was possible at this time.


    Sachen grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Haha, you¡¯ll get him someday.¡±


    The kids stared at the soldiers. They heaved over their shoulders a living pig that came fresh out of a farm in the grasslands. A bundle of ropes tied up its legs and arms, and veins pulsated along its pink, fleshy skin. On the snout area where Tulisen was holding, there was a mask that looked like a crow¡¯s beak. It concealed the pig¡¯s squeals into muffled, and no matter how boisterous its sounds were, the mask cancelled it out. In discomfort, the animal thrashed its body, its hooves scratched the metal armor of the soldiers and its tears dripped through the mask. Neha and Sachen sensed the distress in its plight, they wanted to save it if they could; as for the students in the domain, they brought nothing but gasps.


    The soldiers laid the animal to the ground, and the men sighed from it being too heavy even for them to carry together. From the side, Tulisen flicked his hair, his dark-brown eyes were shining as luminous as the stars. He knocked his knuckles against his chest, he then put his hand down.


    ¡°Welcome young ones, to this very important night. Clearly to all, you are the only one to attend this first sacrifice¡ªbecause of course, the young should be the first to participate. Here we have a pig, a healthy one to be perhaps, that the Leader and his clergy had chosen for tonight. This pig is throwing itself around and struggling to break free¡ªbut no matter, we shall end its suffering. To us, this abominable swine represents the accumulation of filth, of all the sins that we have committed; you see how fat it is? It goes to show that we have done much wrongdoings to place ourselves in a precarious position; but it¡¯s not too late. By killing the animals, all of our sins will be forgiven by the gods. Also, we have become too hungry, not just for war, but for salvation itself. Now we must repress our hunger.¡±


    Along with the students, Tulisen¡¯s fellow soldiers applauded. The junior officer bowed before the pig, kissed it on the head, and ordered one of the men to remove the mask. Next thing that happened, the entire platoon drew forward their single-action rifles. The resin of their weapons emitted a stinging, but fragrant odor of pine cones. Grooves and cuts muddled the woodwork and frames, such marks they had accrued from past conflicts. Chills swallowed the guns as a whole, and for a bit it became too cold for them to hold it with their bare hands.


    Under Tulisen¡¯s order, the soldiers pointed their firearms at the swine. They at first, poked its skin from its head to its buttocks. They started to taunt the poor animal with every insults they could come up with, and the pig responded with more of its squeals. The animal scraped its hooves against the soil, at the same time it bashed its head upon its arms. Mercy was at the end of the tunnel.


    Tulisen raised his right arm. His eyes twitched.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    The soldiers pulled the trigger. Rings and bangs echoed the air and blasted the students¡¯ eardrums, they shook themselves as a result. Fumes welled from the barrels, it plowed the air and obscured the presence of the pig. From the swine, blood geysered, bringing the grass and soil into a crimson bath. The iron smell of the blood ripped open the stomachs of the kids, and the last thing they desired to do was to vomit.


    Not more than a minute later, the fumes dissipated and revealed the pig itself. For the worst of the faint-hearted, its snout poured out a gallon of blood. Bullet holes were scattered throughout its body, and it resembled a giant beehive, something that made their skin crawl. Critters from the ground such as worms and ladybugs roamed close to the hole, about to infest the carcass in great numbers. The sight suffocated the kids.


    The sacrifice was close to being over. A couple of soldiers gave a long piece of lumber to Tulisen, and the officer wrapped the pig¡¯s feet and arms onto the wood. His companions then installed a pair of logs onto the ground by the flanks of the fire. Tulisen lifted the pig and put both ends of the lumber onto the standing timbers. Then the fire began to skewer and consume the dead animal. Blackness colored the pig¡¯s skin, it could blend into the night sky. With the blaze taking over the carcass, the soldiers finished the first sacrifice, thus they were in relief. The kids cheered and at the same time, loosened their tongues and mouths in disgust.


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    ¡°Hurrah, we have finished,¡± said Tulisen in a nonchalant tone. The men clapped again and they began to dance. Once more, the students and the Young Guards created their circle and sung a new hymn. They felt grateful that it was over, but it wasn¡¯t so for Neha and Sachen. The girls felt a kick in their stomachs, the sensation then turned into a painful twist.


    ¡°Oh the Dove, the messenger of the gods, the pig has been slaughtered for the greater good. Oh the Dove, please enjoy the smell of the smoke and the fat of the pig from the fire, and eat the meal that is free of its corrupt blood. Oh the Dove, how much your wings flap and how serene your voice is, please grant mercy on our very own soul, so that we may be purged of our wrongdoings. Oh the Dove, Oh the Dove, praise the Almighty!¡±


    Neha and Sachen looked at the pig above the fire. By now, it became unrecognizable.


    ¡°This is so sick,¡± Sachen said, rubbing her belly. ¡°Neha, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just feeling queasy like you.¡± Neha¡¯s face went pale, she almost tipped to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sachen pulled Neha out of the circle, and the duo went near the back door of the temple. Sachen wiped the sweat from her friend¡¯s forehead.


    "You seem hot," Sachen said, ¡°but at least it¡¯s not going to be a fever.¡± The duo sat down, and Neha laid her head upon Sachen¡¯s shoulders. The fire fuzzed and softened in sight. The voices of the students gurgled.


    ¡°How can they bear such a horror?¡± Neha asked. ¡°If the pig were still alive, then I¡¯d have saved it.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s too late to do anything. By the way, did you see blood gushing out like a river? Nasty, nasty! I was about to hurl when that occurred. It¡¯s so weird that our classmates can stomach this, but not us.¡±


    ¡°Probably because they have sang the hymns, so that kept them into a lull of their senses. To be honest, we are kind of clueless when it came to those hymns.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t agree more. But I thought that you¡¯d join them, because you are a bright student Neha.¡±


    ¡°But I am bad at memorizing the lyrics. Every time I sing, I sound like a dying cat.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I am bad too. There was this one time in music class, when as a class, we were trying to sing this song and perform it in the temple. I was one of the only students going to sleep and slacking off, you couldn¡¯t believe the look on the teacher¡¯s face!¡±


    ¡°Her face was red right? And she was very angry.¡± Neha tightened her face as to imitate the teacher.


    Sachen nodded. ¡°Yep! I couldn¡¯t stand my classmates singing anyway, so I annoyed them instead! I sang the wrong words, coughed every minute, and scratched my legs! Oh goodness, the teacher scolded me so hard, that I had to carry a bucket of water around school. I really want to forget that, it¡¯s too humiliating.¡±


    ¡°I recalled that you almost cried-¡±


    Sachen grinned, and she pushed her face against her friend¡¯s. ¡°I did not certainly cry. I sucked up my tears, and went along with the punishment.¡± Sachen brought herself back. ¡°Plus, the punishment lasted for a couple of hours, so I was let go early!¡±


    ¡°They should have made it longer. That way, you might have learned your lesson.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, then you should be better than me! You were the one who¡¯d keep messing up the pronunciation and tones of the hymns, and it¡¯s so bad that the devil could run away in tears! You should improve though. You have a nice voice, and I can listen to you all day.¡±


    The duo laughed. Their conversation relaxed the tensions in their bodies, of all the awe that the sacrifice had shown for tonight. They held each other¡¯s hands, and they gazed at the stars and comets, more interesting than anything else now.


    Meanwhile, the inferno had fully cooked the swine. Grabbing a bucket of water from the side, Tulisen extinguished the fire, and it sizzled into nothingness. From the fence door, the soldiers hauled a bag full of paper plates and opened it. With a machete knife, a trooper sliced the skin and meat of the pork. Blood draining from the flesh, it was deemed safe for kids¡¯ consumption.


    ¡°You kids can now feast on the swine,¡± Tulisen said, winking. ¡°It¡¯s very delicious, don¡¯t you wait!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± the students said together. Like flies, they hoarded to the pig. The soldiers handed them the plates, then they gave the kids a piece of juicy meat. All of them standing, the kids chowed to their content. In seconds, most of them were done with their portions, they left nothing on their platters but charcoal marks. They begged for more, and the soldiers provided them servings again as the pig was large enough for everybody.


    When one of the soldiers offered Tulisen a plate, he refused. Instead of eating, he made two platters and walked away from the fire. He arrived at Neha and Sachen¡¯s spot. Upon his presence, the girls vaulted and shrieked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter you two? A bit scared of the way things went? How about some pork to help you get full?¡±


    Sachen stood up. ¡°No, we are not hungry, thank you. And we were not scared!¡±


    ¡°You were shaking when the circle was formed Sachen,¡± Neha said.


    ¡°So did you!¡±


    Tulisen chuckled, he kneeled down to Neha and offered her the food. ¡°Now now, let us eat, for it¡¯d be bad if you starve.¡± Neha pushed the plate away, her face flushed in redness. ¡°Come on Neha, your mother won¡¯t be happy if you come home with an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t really want to eat sir! P-please, you must eat it yourself!¡±


    ¡°Well then, I guess I can¡¯t help my appetite.¡± Tulisen slapped his stomach. He then ate the two pieces of meat from the plates. When he was done, he threw the plates into the trash bag and came back to the girls. ¡°That was delicious. You should have tried it, you know?¡±


    Sachen pouted. ¡°I ain¡¯t going to eat something you put bullets in! That¡¯s cruel of you!¡±


    ¡°It was necessary to do so. Otherwise, the clergy might get mad at me. The Leader, although he is not here, expected that the sacrifice would go without any interference, and it went well. The pig¡¯s soul now lies in the hands of the gods.¡± Tulisen closed his eyes, and through the gaps of his teeth he released his breath. ¡°It seems that the gods are appeased, just for a bit; but we need to do more.¡±


    ¡°And what will you guys do next?¡± Sachen asked. ¡°As a matter of fact, what will it take to win this stupid war?¡±


    Neha jabbed her friend¡¯s arm. ¡°Sachen! Don¡¯t say it¡¯s stupid!¡±


    Tulisen laughed it off. ¡°Based on the threatening letters that we have received from the eastern and southern frontiers, it is apparent that the war will come in just a month. In order to spur our pathway to victory, we must accumulate many of our resources. We are low on rifles, canteens, and armor, so we¡¯ll have to cooperate with the industries. The village will be surrounded by enemies of all sorts, so we must be prepared. When we go out the gates, you kids will have to stay either at school or at home; you cannot go out under any circumstances. And lo, don¡¯t even try to sneak out again, I heard that there were some guards sleeping when you two were going to the forest.¡±


    ¡°Y-you knew?¡± Neha gave a bashful smile. ¡°I knew they were going to find out.¡±


    ¡°You two are naughty little ones, hanging out in the forest without any supervision. But the guards there should have reported something, or at least stayed on their toes. Never mind that, it¡¯s in the past.¡± Tulisen stood up and crossed his arms. ¡°The war is coming to our backyard. Neha, please protect your mother if war comes even tomorrow. Lately, she has barely spent any money on the medication, even though I keep telling her to do so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will remind myself of it.¡±


    ¡°And Sachen, don¡¯t be reckless. In this current climate, there is no room for fun and games.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    With a thumbs up, Tulisen returned to the platoon. Neha and Sachen yawned and shut their eyes. Then it was that they let their imaginations loose in order to distract themselves from the subject of war. The only thing that could make them worry was nothing. A chain of events however, would destroy such worry.

 Chapter 8: Usheniko

    At the moment, Usheniko was cleaning up her table and her bookshelf. This morning, when she saw the dust bunnies and lint all over the place, she shuddered. She wanted to get it over with, and if she were to leave it for a long time, then the dust would infest the place and might deter a lot of customers.


    As Usheniko hummed to herself, she swept the woodwork with a feather duster. She brushed the crystal ball and the maroon carpet, then she transitioned to the top of the bookshelf. The height was out of her reach. ¡°Goodness me, I can¡¯t go on my toes without breaking my bones! I am old, haha!¡± Usheniko turned to her daughter, who was sitting near the drapes. Azukunika stared daggers at an album book. ¡°Sweetie, can you clean this up for me please? I know you¡¯re bored and all, so come here.¡±


    Azukunika clicked the roof of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m busy looking at this.¡±


    ¡°What? You have all the time in the world to do that. Now help me, or else I won¡¯t give you those scrumptious muffins that you have been waiting for!¡±


    The daughter shook her head and crossed her legs. The sight of that struck a nerve in Usheniko.


    The woman grabbed a chair from the table and brought it to the bookshelf. Standing on it, she reached the top. ¡°You know Azukunika, you have been rather meek lately. Is there something the matter? Is it about your time in prison? I know that it¡¯s a brutal place to be, since it is situated in an isolated place and all. I heard that there is a lot of gang members and convicted murderers there. I am scared that you can¡¯t even handle them! But you can tell me, right?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Azukunika said, she glared the moment she turned a page in the book. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to intrude.¡±


    ¡°Aww shucks, don¡¯t be like that.¡± Usheniko wiped the last of the dust on the bookshelf. All the dust bunnies disappeared for now, and the woman broke into sweat and sighed. She carried herself down and hopped to the kitchen area, where she had made some muffins. She placed them on a tray, presenting it to Azukunika. The latter shooed it with her hands.


    ¡°I am not hungry right now,¡± the daughter said.


    Usheniko dropped her jaws. ¡°Eh?! You haven¡¯t ate in a while! Here, just eat it all!¡±


    ¡°With those eye-like almonds? No thanks.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Usheniko clutched her chest. ¡°My heart hurts, now I am dying from the lack of interest not just from the girls, but from you too! Why must it be this way?¡±


    Azukunika scoffed, she then stood up and latched her hands onto the drapes. Looking outside, the breeze cooled her face. Usheniko wanted to ask more about her daughter¡¯s current mood, but she couldn¡¯t quite wrap her tongue on how to do so. Azukunika returned here too suddenly, so it must be that it overwhelmed her to the point of exhaustion.


    The mother looked at the photo album, and the first page of it gushed her heart. It contained pictures when Azukunika was only an infant, and most of them had her father in it, who was long dead from a disease. Since Usheniko settled down in the village, she recovered all her pictures from a treasure chest that was underneath the grounds of the tent, as she buried it about three years ago. She took pictures of Azukunika and herself almost everyday, and at one instance, the album became a burden to carry even with two hands. Those images in the book, they were created at the time where the villagers discovered sepia-colored cameras somewhere in the frontiers, and they used it as often as they think they should. Then all the cameras died from technical difficulties; the villagers were lost on how to fix that newfangled technology, so they destroyed them instead. They remained unknown to most people today.


    ¡°Wow, I remember this time, when you were seven!¡± Usheniko said, she giggled to herself. ¡°You used to play in the mud a lot, and one day, you dirtied your doll and cried. I couldn¡¯t clean it up, much to your frustration. Although I bought you a new one, you didn¡¯t like it because the cottons were so hard and rough! And look at this, when you graduated high school in robes! You were so stunning, and you still are!¡±


    Usheniko flipped through the book, and along the way, she saw a bunch of scratch marks. ¡°Whoa, what happens here?¡± She assumed that it might have been an animal that burrowed itself in the book one night, but she brushed it off and continued perusing. Time passed by, and Usheniko occupied herself with this more than the duty to clean up her home. Her bosom thrilled and memories came here and there; she felt the urge to turn back the clock and live those good days again, when she spent with Azukunika a lot of happiness. Now it was somewhat better for the mother as Azukunika was here, and maybe some time later, she could share again the experiences with her.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    But that was only wishful thinking. Upon Usheniko¡¯s return to the village a while back, she heard from the Holy Army that her daughter was arrested and sentenced in the charges of treason and attempted murder. She couldn¡¯t believe it at all that her daughter would do such crimes, and at first tried to coerce the High Order into letting her free. But the rigidity and immobility of the administration to even consider Azukunika a ticket to freedom convinced Usheniko that her kid could be stuck in prison for decades. She could only pray that they¡¯d release her in no time.


    Azukunika scraped her own nails and chuckled. Her eyes slowly dulled in color, she uttered nothing but grunts. Without informing Usheniko, she walked out of the tent. Her footsteps crunched the ground so loud that Usheniko noticed her right away and grabbed her arms.


    ¡°Hey! Where are you going? I don¡¯t mean to bother you, but please, don¡¯t be so bashful my dear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t be so cold towards me! I bet the prison is becoming a bad influence on you, right? I hope you get better from whatever you are dealing with! And come back here, I haven¡¯t done talking to you yet!¡±


    Shrugging, the daughter glared at Usheniko. There was something in her expression that rattled the woman for a bit, but the root of it she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Perhaps Azukunika experienced an incident among her inmates that might lengthen her sentence. It didn¡¯t add much to this situation though. The girl being so unusual in her demeanor got Usheniko scratching her head and wondering, it was as though her daughter became invisible in her feelings, out of what Usheniko would expect from her.


    Azukunika brushed her hair. She turned to the drapes. ¡°I¡¯m going to the temple. I need to handle important stuff for the High Order.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Usheniko tilted her head. ¡°Now you are going there? You should have done so when I was attending Sunday service! Also, it couldn¡¯t be that the reason you came back is to work for them.¡±


    ¡°I have to. They were the one who summoned me here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. What are they doing with the likes of you-¡±


    Azukunika snarled, her eyes welled in tears. Usheniko came up to the young girl and tried to hug her, but the latter pushed her away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry my dear,¡± Usheniko said. ¡°You can tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°I am not crying.¡± Azukunika grimaced. She then departed from the tent. She walked far to the intersection between the food stand area and the markets, and disappeared from Usheniko¡¯s sight. The woman could barely believe that such a girl like her could act like this nowadays. She now inferred, at least guessed, that Azukunika might be going through some changes in her mind and body, like she was still stuck in puberty. But overall it came to Usheniko that her daughter was finally a grown-up, something that the mother should at least appreciate.


    ¡°Oh well. She¡¯s twenty-four now, so she knows what to do in her time. I can¡¯t stop her. I am getting old, if one would call forty-five an old age.¡± Usheniko walked back to the kitchen and heated the stove. ¡°I got to get back to this. Neha needs her lunch, and I must prep it for her! So today I will make a delectable, all-delicious fried rice with deep-fried fish!¡±


    Thus she cooked. She gathered the ingredients from the pantry and the boxes, and conjured a smile. The days when she first met Neha and Sachen, it couldn¡¯t get any funnier; she let out a laugh. Way before their meeting, Usheniko stayed with her family in a mansion, the place that once occupied the same spot where the tent was right now. She used to roam around the markets and eat lavish food at the restaurants with allowance from her parents, and had enough money to do this every week since her family was wealthy in the occult and consulting business. It was one year ago, that after she left a noodle joint, she found a pair of kids playing around near the mansion that by then was demolished. Sachen got her head stuck in a cage full of sparrows, and the birds pecked Sachen¡¯s face so much that it looked like the rascal developed chickenpox. Neha called for help, but some people either dismissed it as a theater performance or they didn¡¯t want to help at all. Immediately, Usheniko pulled Sachen¡¯s head out of the cage, and it left the latter in sores. Neha thanked the woman for helping and offered to give some money as compensation. With a smirk, Usheniko pointed to a small tent that was next to the mansion ruins. In return for her help, Usheniko wanted them to come to a psychic session, where she could consult them of their fortunes for the rest of the year.


    In the first session, Usheniko predicted that Neha would find a pair of gold coins in her pockets. For Sachen, she would see bird dropping on her windows. Both of them came true, and the juveniles laughed and shivered in awe of this; they thought Usheniko was a fluke. So they attended a session again and again, only to discover that all their fortunes were true again. However, they did not know this simple trick: Usheniko described the most mundane, the most common things in everyday occurrences. Never did she resort to making fortunes that were outstanding or out of reality.


    Usheniko acquainted herself with them. Over the days that the girls visited her, they became enthusiastic from their consultations, even when they were suspicious about some of her results. They grew close to Usheniko, and they turned from acquaintances to good friends. Usheniko herself cherished her time with them, and hopefully, she¡¯d stay by their sides forever.


    After the woman was done making the food, she closed it in a container and left it by the counter. Her muscles throbbing, she dropped her body onto a cot that was next to her bookshelf. She wondered if Azukunika was going to come back early; as of recent, she had been coming home in the dead of night while Usheniko slept.


    When Usheniko replayed in her head her first encounter with Neha and Sachen, she giggled.


    ¡°That¡¯s where I made their nicknames, little sparrows.¡± Usheniko then napped. She let out drool from her mouth.

 Chapter 9: Concerns

    Another end of the school day, the children and teenagers swelled the building with their sighs and giggles. They had again, endured the torment of their classes. As for the fourth graders, they remained in the classroom.


    Writing an endless river of words on the chalkboard, Ms. Laozina lectured about the recent history of the village. Strands of white hair fell out of her scalp as she staggered her steps, her bones creaked and squeaked. Gloss sparkled her large lips, and the teacher rubbed it with the back of her hand. Wearing a belt, she wore a black dress that reached to her shins, and in modesty that the dress concealed her entire body, it revealed nothing but her hands, collarbone, and neck.


    Ms. Laozina then faced her pupils. She scratched her head.


    ¡°Okay class, you must understand this time period that is presented on the chalkboard. Yes yes, we have gone over it a million times. Ozughen was a radicalist Leader that wanted to implement a lot of crazy reforms in the village. He garnered the support of the Ganshipe family, who bribed him with a mountain of gold so that he could keep himself in power, so that he would legalize witchcraft, prostitution, gambling, et cetera.¡± The teacher began to look around the room, her lips tingling and her chest puffing. She tapped her right foot, to which the students rattled their chairs. They stared dead center at the chalkboard, begging to the clock to run its course.


    Zeroing in on a certain child, Ms. Laozina snapped her fingers. ¡°Ah! Neha! Do you mind telling the class of what we have just covered for today? I¡¯m sure you know it quite well.¡±


    ¡°Um, uh!¡±


    Neha stood up. With her mind going blank, she sweated and jittered. Ms. Laozina hacked a cough, and the girl almost jumped to the ceiling, which might have been terrible to look at. She was now in the spotlight; then here, the students questioned and sympathized their classmate. A few of them offered to answer on her behalf. Though Neha felt that it was her responsibility to reply right away, incomprehensible thoughts flooded her head, and she was unable to find the correct words. As her spotlight brightened, the teacher hawked at her and frown. In hopes of somehow escaping the situation, Neha looked at the door. One foot forward and she could run.


    Next to her, Sachen slammed her hands and raised herself from her chair. The kids drew their attention and gasped. Sachen smirked, she borrowed the spotlight from her friend.


    ¡°Um teacher, I have the answer! We have learned in class today, about the absurdity and uselessness of education!¡±


    ¡°My words Sachen! I did not call upon you-¡±


    ¡°Let me finish! As far as I can tell you, much to my knowledge, the education system of this village needs a reform; the teachers are brutally slaughtering us with their boring stream of information and random facts, so that they can teach us for the exams. What is the use of learning in such manner, when in the end, we won¡¯t even learn anything?! We are kids after all, we need to thrive and live as children, instead of having people like you confining us to a lifeless, dull environment eight hours a day! Happiness is more important to us than just mere numbers! So give us recess all day, and cook some good-quality food! White-haired hags you all are, I¡¯d rather have a dragon control this school as principal!¡±


    The students proceeded to cackle and cry their eyes out. Sachen maintained her smirk, she gave that answer supposedly with something else in mind. Even with that, the kids could not fathom her ramble, it seemed more spurious than true.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name are you blabbering about?¡± Ms. Laozina asked. She returned herself to Neha, who was snickering. Her jitters vanished, the crimson of her face paled. She felt light as a feather.


    Neha patted her chest. She stiffened her neck and arms.


    ¡°Ms. Laozina, I should answer your question right away. What we have learned in class today is the revolt of Ozughen¡¯s administration instigated by the glorious revolutionaries. Two years before Yebuka¡¯s rule, Ozughen was controlling our village with malpractice and dishonesty. He was so bad that he caused a famine and an economic downturn. In response, Yebuka and his companions molded a desire to overthrow the administration; they waged war against Ozughen, to which they were successful. They kicked the radical and his posse out of the village, and Yebuka claimed the right to rule as the 28th Leader.¡±


    ¡°Splendid Neha! Splendid!¡± Along with the teacher, the students gave kudos. Neha coiled a smile, and she sat down.


    ¡°That is indeed, glorious and more so remarkable, that the current Leader was able to defeat the devils, and was able to drive them out! Oh goodness, time is up! Class is over kids, have a good day.¡±


    The teacher wiped the contents off the chalkboard. When she withdrew to the corner where her desk was, the students packed up and left the classroom. The lesson they learned today was nothing new, as the teacher taught this one day a week. To them, the war against the 27th Leader was nothing more than a fleeting memory. Based on what happened to them, their mothers locked them in their houses to prevent them from escaping and their fathers joined in the fight for the cause. After the event, the parents did not talk much about it, they seemed too scared to give out the details, which made the students clueless for a while.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Tailing their classmates, Neha and Sachen rallied in the hallways. Due to the kids congesting every part of the area, the chaos almost washed the two girls to the side. By their strengths, they reached the front door and went outside. As they took themselves to the flagpole area, Sachen sprang in front of her buddy.


    ¡°That was a great answer you gave,¡± Sachen said. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough brain capacity to absorb everything the teacher was lecturing about throughout the day.¡±


    Neha exhaled. ¡°You should start paying attention more. I wonder why you¡¯d give such an irrelevant answer at the classroom when the teacher asked us a question about history.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to pump up the atmosphere! No, the real reason was that I wanted you to loosen up. Every time Ms. Laozina call upon you, you¡¯d get so nervous. That¡¯s why I shouted something dumb, so that you could laugh a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°I had to, there was no choice. I did it anyway in order to waste time. You should thank me though.¡± Sachen grinned, she crossed her arms and placed them at the back of her head. ¡°Say Neha.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Before she could answer, Sachen shook her head and took off to the flagpole. Neha trailed her. With the slightest jerks from her legs, Sachen twitched her eyes and growled. It baffled Neha, it must have been that her friend was readying herself to pounce on anybody in sight. Neha pulled her sleeves, trying to stop her. Still, Sachen continued. There was no telling of what she wanted to do.


    ***


    The daily ceremony was over. During the duration of the event, Sachen¡¯s eyes held an accumulation of pollen and dust and stood still as a statue. For the whole time, Neha constantly nudged at her friend, trying to get her back to normal; but as it was so, Sachen left herself silent. Afterwards, their peers left the school, and the girls passed through the gates. Upon the streets, they bisected numerous villagers. Neha then caught up to her friend; the next thing she knew it, the duo arrived at the northern district.


    All the sudden, Sachen relaxed herself. A long sigh from her, she tapped Neha.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Neha asked. ¡°Something is bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Sachen gazed at her feet. She wrapped her hand around her chin. ¡°It¡¯s just that Kuraizang has not been here for a while.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on a spiritual mission right? Are you concerned about him?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. It¡¯s only that since the service, we have heard nothing of Kuraizang. I¡¯m starting to feel really suspicious. It must be that the teachers and clergymen are ordering him to do something out of his own conduct.¡±


    ¡°How can you think that? I mean, the High Order likes him for his determination and for his efforts in being part of the Young Guards; so of course they wouldn¡¯t make him do bad things. Yebuka and the others are good-hearted, there¡¯s no way otherwise.¡±


    Sachen began to brood on it. Walking around in circles and ignoring the pushing of the villagers, she delved deeply on this matter. The more she did, the more uncertain she felt. As of now, her classmates gave no mentions of Kuraizang and his current circumstances, and in fact, nobody in the entire school shredded a single concern about him. To realize the apathy around her, she came to decide that she needed to respond to the problem. But where could she start from here? What did she have to do? In square one did she maroon herself with a lack of ideas.


    Something flicked her nerves. Sachen clutched onto Neha as to not let her slip away. Her mouth gaping, she showed her teeth.


    ¡°I have something in mind!¡±


    ¡°H-huh? You do?¡±


    ¡°Yep! As of this time, with my plan, we are going to find Kuraizang. We must retrieve him as soon as possible, before the bad guys will eat him alive! We are going to get a rope, so that it will be easier to stow him back to the village; that way, he will not try to succumb to the enemies.¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Where are you getting this idea from? We should leave Kuraizang alone, he must be busy now. And also, we have no idea of where to start, or where to find him.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Sachen yanked Neha¡¯s hands and swung her friend about the cobblestone. ¡°Are you with me? Say yes, say yes, say yes.¡±


    Sachen hypnotized herself in repeating her words. Beads of sweat emerged from the shoulders of Neha, she stammered and lurched her gaze around the buildings.


    Someone¡¯s hand landed on Sachen¡¯s head. Pale and slender, the hand grazed the kid¡¯s scalp; the moment Sachen felt it, she hopped away. Her heart raced, she was about to pray for forgiveness due to her assumption that the hand came from a spirit. She turned around and stared at the person, Neha did the same. It couldn¡¯t be anybody else unusual to them if one might say that.


    ¡°My my, what is this plan you are scheming?¡±


    Sachen leaped. ¡°It¡¯s the witch! What is your business with us now? Actually... have you been hearing us the whole time?¡±


    ¡°Well duh, like only a minute or so. But right now, I am ever so inquisitive about your plan. What might it be? Are you searching for the holy grail? Or maybe for your first, and true love? Oh, if so, then I might be able to help your throbbing heart! Please tell me, quickly!¡±


    Suppressing her convulsions, Neha calmed herself. ¡°Sachen and me are trying to think about where Kuraizang is. You see, he has not gone to school for a while, and we are starting to feel troubled by it. Sachen wants to find him, and she is willing to drag me into this.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Usheniko pursed her lips, fog occupied her eyes. She fell quiet. She raised her eyebrows and scowled at the ground. The duo tilted their heads, no clue to what the meaning behind her expression was.


    ¡°Kuraizang. Isn¡¯t that the boy who was summoned by the High Order? Indeed, he is on that mission.¡± Usheniko tugged her necklace and muttered to herself. Her face wrenched, it told the girls that they shouldn¡¯t mention anymore of their plan. She knew something that they didn¡¯t, but she couldn¡¯t get herself to explain. For it was a touchy subject that she had experience in, just the mere recall in one of her memories was enough to pain her. Her heart throbbed faster than she could count. Tears glittered, conquering the fog in her eyes.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be doing it. A while back, I was also there. That¡¯s why I ran off and returned here.¡±

 Chapter 10: Discovery

    Just the look on the woman¡¯s face dampened the mood for a bit. What was Usheniko talking about in such a low tone? Maybe she was talking nonsense, as typical of her.


    Neha couldn¡¯t help but worry. She poked Usheniko¡¯s right arm. ¡°A-are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, I am fine, totally one-hundred percent!¡± Usheniko smiled and patted Neha¡¯s head, she rejuvenated her entire spirit. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just thinking about something. Anyways! Well Sachen, what will you do if your plan fails? I cannot guarantee, based on my belief, that you will be successful in it; perhaps you will hurt yourself in the end!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a strong girl,¡± Sachen said. ¡°I won¡¯t even let anything hurt me!¡±


    ¡°Oh ho? Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It will not fail under any circumstances. We just need a lot of time and patience.¡±


    Usheniko chuckled, she held her stomach. ¡°Patience? Sachen, you really need one at this time! Poor you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever! By the way, Ms. Witch, what are you doing now? Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Quite so. Actually, I am about to be busy. I intend to go to the mountains and gather some edible herbs. However, if rain is to occur, then I¡¯m afraid I have to come home early, and you know that I don¡¯t like rainy weather, for it will ruin my dazzling, shiny robe!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can run an errand for you perhaps?¡± Neha asked. ¡°Sachen, instead of hunting down for your friend, we can pick herbs for her.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No way Neha, I want to catch him now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. We can do something better in our spare time.¡±


    Sachen moaned, she pouted and hurled words that made no sense. Usheniko butted in.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it for me girls! I am all right. I might do it tomorrow. Plus, the herbs I will be gathering can be quite perilous.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Neha inquired.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to even explain it, for it might scare the heck out of you; but I will explain it. Well, the herbs usually have four leaves, and they smell cool and bitter. Also, they are in nature, hallucinogenic, meaning that if you eat them, then you¡¯re in for a pretty wicked nightmare trip. You will vomit, you will feel dizzy, and worst of all, you might go crazy and lose everything in your mind. Of course, kids cannot try it, because it will turn their brains into a piece of sponge!¡±


    ¡°Eek! Never mind, I don¡¯t want to participate in your quest!¡±


    ¡°Ha, such herbs are rare, so there¡¯s little chance that I will even find them. I need some of them because of her...¡±


    Sachen squinted. ¡°Her?¡±


    ¡°I mean my daughter. Lately, she has been acting strange, and she is not quite her usual self. I felt shocked when I first saw her hair, unkempt and full of oil! Usually, she doesn¡¯t have hair in such fashion, she¡¯d always tie it up in a braid. Most important of all, she is acting rude and disrespectful to me, and she won¡¯t listen to anything I have to say. Maybe she got this act when she was in her cell; but for goodness sake, at least talk properly to your mother! I am the one who raised her! Heck, there was this one time that she was mumbling something about skipping service, which she actually did last Sunday! I asked her what was her reason, and she only slapped my hand and walked away; her eyes were as fiery as a dragon! It was so scary, that I wanted to avoid her for the rest of that day; but I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Neha whimpered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I hope you can mend your relationship with her.¡±


    ¡°Aww sweetie, you don¡¯t have to apologize. But regardless, I am so furious? Is she all right? Is her body and mind okay? Is she experiencing cramps under ¡®here¡¯? She is not willing to answer my questions, it¡¯s frustrating. This morning, she ordered me to get some herbs in the mountains for her ¡®occupation¡¯, yet she never tells me her intentions. She is going to be in big trouble, I should bring out my whip!¡± Catching her breath, Usheniko turned around. ¡°I feel like she is not the same anymore. I want my old darling back. As much as I beg for more time, she is due to go back to prison in a month.¡±


    ¡°Where is the prison by the way?¡± asked Sachen. ¡°We can even appealed to the guards about letting her free.¡±


    ¡°Haha, Sachen, you are very much brave in what you are saying. I do not have knowledge of the place. As a matter of fact, nobody in this village knows where it is!¡±


    ¡°You can use your magical powers of yours! Like flying on a magic carpet, or instantly teleporting to there!¡±


    ¡°I will most likely get sued by the clergy. Woe is me. But it¡¯s okay, at least my daughter does not depend much on me like when she was a toddler. I am already happy, being alone and such. To make myself more gutted, my family is somewhere in the grasslands of the south. I heard that they migrated there after experiencing some bad times in the revolution two years back; I was absent at that time since I went somewhere. They must be making millions based on their business, and I can feel the weight of their profits on my shoulders! Oh whatever, at least I have you guys!¡±


    Usheniko squeezed the duo with her hug. The two of them offered hang out with their friend for the rest of the day, but Usheniko declined.


    ¡°By the way guys,¡± Usheniko said, letting them go, ¡°if you want to get a head start on your plan for that Kuraizang boy, then I advise you to start going to the forest beyond the river.¡±


    ¡°T-that place?¡±


    ¡°Yes! On the other side, it is most likely that the High Order is keeping the boy there. Since there are little to no predators around there, the place hits home run in terms of safety, so you guys don¡¯t have to worry much except for the river itself!¡±


    Sachen jumped and clapped. ¡°Thank you! Now we can start on square one!¡±


    ¡°No problem dear. Well, you go on my little sparrows, go commit to your plan! But be cautious, for you might accidentally stumble upon something weird or odd along the way. Toodles!¡± Usheniko then departed. She immersed her presence among the crowd of the people, disappearing from the girls¡¯ sight. Sachen shrugged, she laid her elbow on her friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°So are you going to come with me Neha? It¡¯s going to be interesting.¡±


    Neha nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Really?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you have to agree that we will go home before sundown. Besides, I feel like leaving you alone in this will be a bad idea; you might end up getting kidnapped or something.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, there¡¯s nothing that can stop us. But thanks for accepting the plan Neha, I appreciate it.¡±


    Before Neha could repeat herself again about her caution, Sachen ran off. In a spur of a moment did Neha follow her. They went all the way to the eastern gate, and strangely enough, no guards were present at the area. Their weapons and armor lied near the wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Neha said. ¡°The soldiers must be doing something important.¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re hanging out at a bar, drinking to themselves and fighting each other. Well whatever, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Sachen led Neha to the doors. She pushed the frames, they opened in an instant. The locks plunged to the grass. ¡°A lazy job coming from them, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sachen remarked. ¡°They should have locked the dang door! Let¡¯s get going Neha, we can¡¯t stay here for too long.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The girls slipped through the doors and left the gate, they entered the forest yet again. Soon their eyes inspected every corner, every space of the environment. As it came to be, twigs, branches, dragonflies, and other critters, they were all the same to them. Sachen ran ahead, and Neha sped up her pace with every forceful exhale from her lungs. There was no use going back. Once the plan set itself in stone, they had to execute it.


    During the course of their trek, the branches and trees lashed at them, they received scratches and rashes. Despite such injuries, they kept going. They finally reached the river, where the fishes twirled along the surface and the leaves sunk. The pair submerged their legs upon the water; the familiar feeling, it glaciated their bones and muscles. Going to dry ground at the other side, the river left them numb, and they felt nothing but pins and needles all over their bodies. The girls continued onward.


    Arriving at the unexplored part of the forest, the chilling air crept upon them. There were no animals present in the place, not even bugs. The barks of the trees gave off a corpse-rotting stench, as if something had died here long ago. It sickened their guts, they held onto their lungs and picked up the pace. As they went deeper, burns flared up their knees, expelling the coldness from their bodies. Not more than a few seconds into this area that they sizzled, burst in dryness, and panted for water. Sachen¡¯s eyes hazed with clouds, her heartbeat became shallow. Neha nodded back and forth, and she was about to collapse.


    The foliage settled in lifelessness. The branches exposed its nakedness, revealing their knives and thorns that pierced the air. With the closeness of the trees, they connected and twisted each other, and the sight held a resemblance to the patterns on the girls¡¯ school uniforms. To the girls, it seemed that Mother Nature was weaving a web that could protect them from the likes of thunderstorms, rain, and hail.


    After a while of walking, Neha leaned against the tree besides her. She crouched, and her heart permeated to the lining of her chest; it might break out of her body. Neha gasped for air.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired. Maybe we should do this for another day.¡±


    ¡°No no no, we have made it this far,¡± said Sachen. ¡°We cannot give up now.¡±


    ¡°But my legs hurt. I don¡¯t want to get injured again, you know?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Neha, you can wait here, while I¡¯ll go even deeper in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t!¡± Neha stood up and snagged her friend. ¡°You¡¯ll get lost! Please don¡¯t put yourself in danger-¡±


    Sachen hushed Neha¡¯s lips. She lowered her friend to the ground. The foul stench evaporated.


    ¡°We must keep silent.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Silent? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Ignoring that inquiry, Sachen dragged Neha to the bushes in front of them. Prostrating, their eyes protruded through the leaves.


    ¡°Look way over there.¡±


    Sachen pointed her finger to an area opposite from them. Leading her eyes there, Neha narrowed her vision and glanced at a particular spot. At first, the two thought it was a large rock. But discovering a ¡®giant hole¡¯ on the front end, along with numerous boulders and rocks around it, they realized it was a cave. From the entrance, darkness annexed the space. The structure stretched long, more so than anything they expected. Clicks and drips echoed the interior of the cave, and it got them into apprehension that there might be some mythical creature living in there.


    The girls began to think on how to carry out the plan without getting themselves in trouble. If the vice-president were to come out, then the girls would make a rope out of flexible twigs and lasso him out of the area. It was ridiculous, but they believed that it could work. Sachen chuckled upon such a thought; she might boast about her efforts. Upon pondering some fantasy about the school giving her compliments and honors, she grinned. As for Neha, she was unsure of the plan as a whole.


    Neha and Sachen waited¡ªand waited. Minutes passed, and the sky was about to pour tears from the heavens. The girls still had their faces stuck on the bushes, the leaves tickled their noses. Sneezing they could suppress, but laughter they spilled out. Then it was that the cave roared. They froze, about to spring away. From the natural structure, footsteps boomed the place and made their way outside. The girls fathomed that it was part of their imagination since they were exhausted from the expenditure of their energy, but the sound persisted. They shooed for it to go away.


    A battalion of men strode outside, with the rattling of their armor and the bobbing of their heads as if they were puppets. A closer look at their armor and there was an emblem of a bird; the animal¡¯s shape, the spears on its talons, its grooves, and its beak, the pair found something similar about it, but they couldn¡¯t place their tongues for an explanation.


    Meanwhile, the troops held among their faces, flat lips and scowling eyebrows. They clutched their rifles and hollered. In front of the formation was a soldier carrying a green flag, and alongside him, two people were banging on their drums.


    They halted. Ahead, an officer with ribbons on his breastplate yelled his orders; nobody moved, not even their eyes. The officer walked around the battalion, he rubbed his swollen belly as he set his gaze at all the troops. No ideas in mind, Neha and Sachen could only wince.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡± Sachen asked.


    Neha scanned the green flag and grunted. ¡°Definitely, they are not people from our village. I think they are the tribes from the forest. I wonder why they are marching at this hour, given that rain will happen in a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with that. But, whatever they are doing, we are going to be in danger if we stay here. They might attack us.¡±


    ¡°Shall we turn back? I feel uncomfortable staying here.¡±


    Sachen drooped her shoulders. ¡°Yeah. And about the plan, I say we can hold it off for today. I¡¯m sorry Neha, by the way, for dragging you here. I didn¡¯t know this was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Now we must go home.¡±


    Zipping their lips, the duo crawled away from the bushes and ambled on the tip of their toes. While they held their steps in silence, the soldiers clamored and deafened the atmosphere with cries in their language, it was as if they were provoking the village from the distance. The people¡¯s intent at this moment, Neha and Sachen thought little of it. They lacked interest to what the ¡®people of the forest¡¯ were doing in their military garments, probably they were so drunk that some rabble-rouser like the officer they saw decided to create a sort of theater drama. Regardless, the presence of the battalion thwarted the juveniles¡¯ plan, they needed to retreat for now. But who knew that those soldiers, those mysterious ones, would come early in the most unexpected time?

 Chapter 11: Carnage

    The sky grayed and the sun dimmed, and then rain struck. Flooding the crops and the cobblestones, the villagers rushed to their homes to get themselves dry. The humid air glued on their nostrils and stuffed their lungs. At school, the Young Guards cancelled the daily ceremony and allowed the kids to go home early. They were shaking and freezing from the sudden weather, some of them even caught the common cold. Snots and tears, the students took off. To them, it was good that they didn¡¯t have to withstand a minute of silence, given that the showers could bury them into more of their coming sickness.


    The school grounds were empty, but Neha and Sachen had yet to depart. It must have been that they had to stay after school due to an important matter. However, due to the absence of the teachers, they were alone in the place, and more significantly, Sachen forgot to retrieve something. She nodded herself to sleep throughout the whole day, and occupied herself by meandering in her dreams. Realizing that she was missing one thing, she bolted out of the classroom and zoomed through the hallways, and Neha pursued her. She called for Sachen many times, yet the latter kept spurring forth.


    ¡°Sachen! Just where are you going? Are you going to tell me or not? I might have to chase you until the end.¡±


    The feet of the girls squeaked the tiles, and they left a huge trail of water behind them. The residue of rain on their hair wetted the walls and windows, at this rate they could submerge the whole building in an ocean. Had the teachers been here longer in time, they would have scolded the two for making such a mess.


    At the end of the hallways, Sachen turned right to the restroom area. Neha caught up with her. Entering the girls¡¯ room, the humidity permeated through the walls, and the girls coughed and pinched their noses. The stall doors remained open and showed the toilets in sparkling conditions. Upon the middle part of the ceiling, a series of droplets impacted Neha¡¯s head. She seesawed between her steps and nodded.


    Looking at the corners and huddling to the sink area, Sachen found the object that slipped out of her mind hours ago. She sighed.


    ¡°Ah, there it is!¡± From the sink closest to the window, Sachen snatched her umbrella and pressed the bottom spring near the tip cup. Opening it, she waved it up and down, creating a huge whip of wind that made the moisture even more stifling. Neha shivered and sneezed. Sachen continued to do this until the wind brittled their skin. She exhausted herself more in this instance than from sleeping in her classes, a remind that she needed to pay attention to her school work.


    ¡°Well then Neha, let¡¯s go home,¡± Sachen said, she walked to the door.


    ¡°W-wait, before we can, do you want to wring our uniforms here? Standing in the flagpole area under the rain really soaked our clothes.¡±


    ¡°Here? That¡¯d be messy. The janitor might get mad for us spilling some water here.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll catch a cold. Wet clothes are not good when they are worn after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my mom say every time! She keeps on nagging me whenever rain occurs! That¡¯s why she always shove an umbrella in my tote bag, and I¡¯d complain that the dang thing is too heavy to carry.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to her, because you¡¯ll never know when you¡¯re going to get sick.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. Ah, we can do it now.¡± Grabbing a chair near one of the stalls, Sachen placed it before the sink near the window and lifted her friend to the chair. ¡°You go first.¡±


    Neha coughed as she looked at her reflection on the mirror. She clutched onto the end of her dress and overlapped it to the sink, she then twisted the part. Her hands going in opposite directions, water gushed from the clothing and spiraled down the drain. Numbness possessed her, Neha felt that her hands were going to fall out. She persisted. In less than a minute did her dress turn into wrinkles, and it distorted the pattern of the flowers and vines. Although it was so, she worried little about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Neha said, she hopped to the floor. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡± Sachen stumbled her steps upon getting to the chair. Before she could start, she smirked in front of the mirror.


    She opened her arms and let the droplets of the rain dripped on its own. She glanced at Neha, giving a smirk again that might or might not be a sign of insanity. With the force of her hips and abdomen, she spun herself. On her toes, she fountained the water from her dress and body, the residue invaded the air and damped the floor.


    ¡°S-Sachen!¡± Neha shielded her face, her hands got wet. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, you¡¯re going to be in trouble! And you were the one who said that the janitor will get mad if we do this!¡±


    Sachen laughed. ¡°Nobody is going to catch us! We¡¯re fairies in stealth! We can escape by the window if the janitor comes. No worries, no problems!¡± She did this more and more until she managed to soak everything around her. The mess from her became terrifying; water surged along the cracks and lines of the tiles, the walls swelled and turned sticky, and the stall doors trembled. It could have been better if she had opted to wring her clothes, but if the devil were to see this, then he¡¯d weep.


    ¡°Yay! Now that we¡¯re done, let¡¯s go home. Today, we have no time to search for Kuraizang, so we¡¯ll hold the plan off.¡± Sachen jumped from the chair and almost slipped upon one of the puddles on the floor. Holding her umbrella, she headed for the door.


    ¡°Neha? Did you hear me? Let¡¯s go home.¡± Like what Neha did before, Sachen called out her friend countless times, but no response came through. She then shifted herself, clanging the tip of the umbrella against the ground. Neha¡¯s face cemented itself against the window pane.


    ¡°What are you doing? Staring at the window? What could be there?¡± Sachen marched to the window on the opposite side of the room. Neha¡¯s eyes were scanning the environment outside, the silence from her began to bother Sachen. What was she looking at? Was there something interesting, or rather something peculiar about the rainy weather? In light of a lack of answers, Sachen shrugged.


    Sachen zipped her lips. She wiped the fog off the window and inspected the place across the street of the school. There was a blacksmith¡¯s workshop. Albeit nobody being there, nothing seemed to be out of place. Sachen scratched her head, she continued to look. Squinting and focusing on the buildings next to it, a bright light manifested from one of the roofs. The light expanded, it sizzled the incoming rain. Judging from the bleakness of things, it looked like a mirage that Sachen could dismissed. But from there emerged smoke. Heat emanated the air and burned the window, and the faces of the girls scorched for a while. In spite of that, it sparked their curiosity; they continued to maintain their position.


    The window shook. The next thing that happened, screams and yells scratched their eardrums. It occurred everywhere in the village, from the houses to the restaurants to the temple. Many children and adults were still outside and yet to come to their homes, their voices began to crack. At the same time, tides of gallops and gunfire invaded the place, and soon sank everything into chaos. The sudden barrages of bullets, the heavy footsteps that came forth, it left the two girls in fright. More to that, the light that came from the row of buildings revealed itself as a hellish inferno. It cooked the roofs and doors, its brightness monopolized the grayness of the sky. The whips of the fire lashed nonstop, as though it was punishing the village for the stagnation of their souls. Wherever it had came from before, there was no use to stopping it. One by one, it charred the buildings. People on the streets cried and shook, they scattered in search of a place to hide. Neha and Sachen held each other, they were unsure of what was occurring.


    ¡°W-what is this?!¡± Neha said, cowering upon Sachen¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But it seems that something bad is happening!¡± Sachen gazed out the window again, only to witness more of the chaos.


    Along the streets carried a large group of soldiers, with their rifles pointing at anything that crawl even a single inch. At the front of the formation, a trooper held a green flag, the same sight that the girls had encountered not too long ago. They noticed also, the emblems on the soldiers¡¯ armor. Nothing they could understand the reason for their arrival, they watched the soldiers unleashing hell. The battalion stopped before a group of villagers, their eyes kindled in fervor. Without a single drop of mercy, the officer with the belly and mustache ordered his men to fire. They shot the villagers. The bullets ripped their flesh, and in an instant they dropped dead like flies. The unit continuing to move, they bulldozed more of the people, their hollers gave way to an unstoppable terror. In the village center, they clashed against the Holy Army. Though outnumbered, the ¡®foreigners¡¯ made momentum. An abrupt attack like this dared to disturb the peace of the village; of what the people once considered their village safe from anything, such a notion became broken. Now they were in a great deal of peril, more than anything they expected.


    Sachen darted to the door. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s them! Goodness, I didn¡¯t expect them to show up now!¡±


    ¡°We should have reported it!¡± Neha said. ¡°W-we should have... I can¡¯t believe this!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not our fault! Besides, the people won¡¯t believe us anyway, they still think of us as innocent fools. But let¡¯s get out of here, before the enemies find us! Come on, there¡¯s no time to look! We have got to go!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes! We must!¡±


    Together they returned to the hallways. Going to the back doors where it led to the stables, the girls encountered a wooden plank with a lock, blocking their access to freedom. Sachen shimmied her hands on one side of the plank. Neha went to the other side and helped her friend. They tried to lift it, but even with double the strength, the wood remained as it was. The effort strained their muscles. Sachen then used her fingernail and undertook the task of picking the lock. Her nail burying deep inside, it bent a little when she twisted her finger clockwise. Aching her, Sachen retracted her hand.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Time was running out. They could go anywhere in school, from the desks of their classroom, the doors of the storage room, or the upper floors. Even so, it was better to get out, for staying in the building for too long might let the enemies find them in no time. Thus they attempted to take the plank away again; but they managed to move a tiny bit of it. Their muscles swelled, and their chests contracted.


    The girls heard clamors outside the school. They cowered against the walls, held each other¡¯s hands, and let their eyes shrink. The front doors collapsed; coming in were a detachment of soldiers. Bloodlust soaked their pupils. Waving their rifles in the air, the foes giggled when seeing the two helpless girls. Like monkeys, they hooted and scraped their armpits. With the lead of the overweight officer, the troopers maimed everything in sights with their axes and hammers; the tiles, the windows, the doors, the table, and the stairs, they smashed them into chunks. The girls trembled, they couldn¡¯t help but squeal. Among this moment, the pair considered bowing and surrendering to the enemies in order to have them spare their lives. But was it possible to act upon such a consideration? The foes were closing in on them and destroying everything along their path. From the point where the two girls saw them, the soldiers had no qualms upon the safety of the villagers. As current circumstance showed it, no doubt could they wipe away that option, and the reality of things shredded the possibility of acting upon it.


    The enemies stopped their cadence. They eyed at the two girls. The officer laughed, he was about to break in tears. In his language, he called his men to withdraw their arms. Looking back and wagging his hands, he summoned a muscular, stalwart soldier. The man came forth, he cracked a smile and drooled. His pupils flared. He wielded his axe from the right side of his hip; Neha curled to Sachen¡¯s side and wobbled in place. What could they do at this point? Pleading for a miracle was ludicrous, there was no way for the gods to help them, and it seemed that the gods were taking this as some sort of their divine plan like they wanted to teach the village a lesson. Could the girls run away, when they were facing a bunch of savages? Limited options came with little hope. With delicate hands could they only pray.


    An imaginary fire coating his face, the officer commanded the muscleman to finish the task. The man guffawed, he choked on his spit. He twirled his axe, stomped on the broken tiles, and licked his lips. It looked like he was willing to do something more heinous later on.


    The muscleman held his smile and conducted his strike. He whipped his axe downwards. He cut the air in half, creating a gale. Out of instinct, Sachen seized Neha and rolled to the side, she almost broke her back. They tumbled to the walls, and hit their heads and flinched. As they emerged out of the cocoon of their fear, the soldier chopped his weapon onto the plank and lock. In one try by accident did he severed the obstacle. The split wood clunked, and the lock dinged upon landing to the floor. The girls set their eyes on the door, and felt a little relief that they were not the ones having their heads split in half. The officer scolded the muscleman for doing a poor job, and his comrades began to taunt him.


    ¡°Quick Neha! Let¡¯s get a move on!¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± The pair blitzed away. They headed outside, and although rain was still pouring, Sachen left her umbrella closed. The enemies then stormed out of the school and crept close to their rears.


    ¡°Where shall we go?¡± Neha asked. She hyperventilated, and was unable to control it.


    ¡°For now, let us make an escape! Wait, but to where?¡±


    Confused, they glanced at the stables. Inside, the animals groaned and sobbed for their lives. The horses, goats, pigs, and chickens bashed their heads against the fences and buried themselves in their haystacks. As it happened, Sachen wanted to save them, but there was a huge risk. Liberating the animals would allow the soldiers to have enough time to strike back on them. Of course, she was confident that she could do it in one go. But Neha stopped her. From there, without hesitation, Sachen decided to abandon the suggestion. She whimpered when hearing more of the animals¡¯ agony. She wished that they were going to be all right.


    ¡°We need to go to the school gates and break away!¡± Sachen said. The two passing the flagpole area, the torrent clogged up the ground. They trudged their feet as if a river had formed among them. Soon they arrived at the gates, with the detachment inches behind them. They roared their voices and beat their chests, at the same time they fired their rifles upon the air.


    ¡°Yes! Now we can get out of this area!¡± Sachen pumped her fists. The pair jostled their steps to the street, sweating and letting their hearts flap faster than a butterfly¡¯s wings. Once they were out, Sachen cheered and twirled her dress; it was the wrong occasion to do such a thing. The detachment was still here.


    Neha and Sachen skipped to the other side of the street and avoided the inferno that was furnacing the buildings. They went right and took a sharp turn to a new area. They stumbled upon a mess. There, the rubble and dust from the fallen structures of homes and businesses pulverized the villagers¡¯ bodies into a pulp. Their blood covered the cobblestone and sidewalks, so did their organs. It became to the point where the corpses were unrecognizable, and it packed a punch upon the girls¡¯ stomachs. They wanted to vomit. As so, the torrent intensified and drenched the debris, making it difficult to navigate through the ruins. Nothing seemed to keep their hopes up. The discord throughout the village, let alone their area, brought undeniable dread. If they had sufficient strength, then the girls might have fought against the enemies alone. Reality presented otherwise.


    It was then that the rainfall ebbed, the dark clouds were about to turn white. Behind, a gunshot fractured their ears. The girls turned their bodies. The muscleman showed up again. His muscles enlarged the veins along his skin, and his face was filled with crimson. Licking his lips again, he moved his fingers and fondled the air.


    ¡°N-no! It¡¯s him again!¡± Neha stumbled on her steps and fell onto Sachen¡¯s arms. ¡°P-please, don¡¯t kill us!¡± The man cackled.


    Going in front of Neha, Sachen mobilized a bit of courage, or what she had left of it. She brought out her umbrella and swung it side to side as to intimidate the enemy. She whacked it to the soil, and drew a circle around her in order to make some magic. Protecting her friend was the only option she could come up with, if it meant that Sachen needed to resort to this.


    ¡°You fiend! Stay away from us! Shoo, shoo!¡± The man laughed his guts off until he ran out of breath. Summoning his firearm, he scowled through his iron sight. Sachen dropped her umbrella and crossed her arms, her face contorted. She was defenseless, the courage that she mustered suddenly vanished. Defeat, or worse, death, could at any moment sweep her feet away. Her heart dropped. Sweat overmastered her face more than the rainfall. Only the heavens knew what would happen this time.


    The brutality of the rain was gone. The man, who was laughing the whole time, fell silent. His firearm plummeted to the ground, and the clinks of his armor waned. A burst of gunshot from the rear banged to his body. Sachen looked up¡ªshe let out a huge gasp. A single bullet lodged itself in the enemy¡¯s head. Blood surging, eyes rolling backwards, lips puckering, it bathed the man into his own demise. His body thudded on the sidewalk.


    Sachen blinked rapidly. Her skin became cold. ¡°What¡­ what had just happened?¡±


    Neha sniffled. ¡°Somebody hurt him. But who?¡± She glanced about the area, she then turned her attention to the corner that led back to the scorching buildings. There, an individual was pointing his rifle towards the fallen foe. He nodded, and Neha shuddered from his presence. Her voice trotted. She could have known that it was him; but for him to show up out of all these times was a miracle, more so a stroke of luck. She wanted to bless the person if she could, but the time now didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°W-wah! Is that you?¡±


    The soldier gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Neha shook her head. ¡°Sachen, look! It¡¯s Tulisen!¡±


    ¡°Who? Where? Over there?¡± Sachen then saw him. In armor and with the silver chevron, Tulisen straddled to their vicinity.


    ¡°Hey¡­ so it was you who hurt this man?¡± Sachen asked. ¡°How brave of you.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If I were late, then this guy would have ended your lives.¡± Tulisen withdrew his gun and crouched to the girls¡¯ height. Showing sympathetic eyes, he raised his voice. ¡°Anyways! What are you doing here, in the middle of the dang streets? You know that you will get sick if you keep staying here in the rain! You should have gone home by now! What is the meaning of this? Naughty girls you are, I ought to punish you!¡±


    ¡°Um, we were at school, and Sachen forgot her umbrella. She found it, but then we put ourselves in danger...¡±


    ¡°Neha.¡±


    Not more than a second later, Neha sobbed. Tears blinded her. ¡°We just wanted to go home! But the bad guys went to the school, and tried to kill us! I couldn¡¯t do anything, and Sachen tried to save me!¡±


    Neha plunged to Tulisen¡¯s arms; Sachen followed suit, her eyes watered and she cried too. So far, they had endured one of the worst times of their lives, and for the heavens to offer an event like this, it was cruel and inhumane. But as such, the world spared nothing of them but their fear that anguish them the whole time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry anymore,¡± Tulisen said. ¡°My men are currently winning and beating up the enemies. I will take you guys home, okay?¡± Carrying them in his arms, the girls slumbered from their endless bawling. Tulisen accompanied them among the disappearing rain; he then walked through piles of bodies, friends and foes alike. A few of his comrades died from the fight. How could a band of people from the forest be able to create such devastation? The sight saddened him. He cast his eyes towards the sky and relished the blue color canvasing over the clouds, but it did little to alleviate the pain. From here on, the ordeal and troubles of the girls would not end.

 Chapter 12: Outrage

    The flowers wilted and rotted from the bloodbath, the streets dulled from their colors. Dead bodies that used to lie on the cobblestone and elsewhere had disappeared; the Holy Army had cleaned it up a while ago. The casualty count on their side was quite high, but the soldiers were able to bury all of them in the cemetery near the northern gate. It was a grim job to do, and some of the soldiers wept their eyes out upon the realization that their loved ones had died. Nothing could surpass the pain they were facing. During the time of the cleanup, they washed away the filth, blood, and ruins that the invaders had left. The battle ended in an unconvincing victory for them; slaying the enemies, the entirety of them, was difficult. They were resilient in that they launched their attacks minute by minute with little signs of exhaustion, and even when they succumbed to injuries, the adversaries fought off until their dying breaths. The efforts of the Holy Army, although people felt grateful to them, changed little of the scourge of violence that made its mark. It put the village in uncertainty.


    This morning, days after the onslaught, the High Order of the Celestials called for an assembly. Everybody had to come and participate. Soon the villagers arrived at the temple, and they spoke and thought of nothing. They kept their glances towards the ground, trying to exorcise from themselves the recall of severed limbs, stray bullets, and the fury of the enemies. To good fortunes, they survived; but it left them to suffer. Forming a line, they went into the building. The abbots and clergymen sung no hymns at this time. Silence they emphasized, all that one could hear were the footsteps of the masses.


    Going inside, the villagers perched on their seats and stared at the stage with expressionless faces. Many of them sat alongside their families, some of them preferred to be alone. For Neha and Sachen, they were an aisle away from each other. Neha followed her mother, and Sachen settled with her family. In briefness did they exchange eye contact, nothing more than that. Like the others, they were quiet; as memories of their ordeal formed, they balked and mewled. They wished to talk to each other, but at this hour, it was painful for them to communicate a single word without a pang in their hearts.


    Neha¡¯s mother crossed her arms and folded her legs. She hissed at her daughter when the latter started to shake. From the sharpness of her tone, Neha jumped.


    ¡°Act proper! We¡¯re at temple service, so please stay calm for a bit!¡±


    ¡°B-but-¡±


    ¡°No buts. You should be at least grateful that you have survived, and so did I! I locked myself in the house when those evil minions came to the village, and I even tried to beat one of them up. But sadly, they had hurt as many people as possible, and it saddens me to the fullest. If your father were here, then he¡¯d kept us to safety. But he¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°I want him to come back. Please mother.¡± Neha wiped her palms upon her pants. She almost cried the moment Aijin mentioned her father. She dreamed that he would save his family from the terror of the enemies, and such a dream warmed her body for a terse period. With his perseverance and might, anything was possible, but far away he was, Neha sentenced herself into whimpers. The frequency of her father in her memories came often more than it should, and ignoring them all together was not a choice that she could make.


    ¡°That¡¯s why should become stronger than your parents!¡± Aijin said. ¡°When Tulisen brought you home right after the pillage, you came crying to my arms, begging for me to sleep with you in the bedroom. That, my little girl, shows nothing but your unwillingness to tough it out.¡±


    ¡°Mother, why must you say that? Sachen and me were the ones attacked by the enemies. What were we supposed to do other than to run away?¡±


    Aijin¡¯s lips swiveled around. She blinked until she got herself dizzy. Her voice cracked. ¡°I-I... If I were in your position, then I would have stolen a rifle from the armory, and would have shot those cockroaches. Oh my dear, I commend your friend for protecting you by using a dang umbrella; although I have to say that it¡¯s somewhat laughable.¡± She chuckled, before shedding tears. She dug her nails along her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to go through that! I should have been there for you. I am a coward am I? You should call me that from now on.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t consider yourself that-¡±


    ¡°After all, if I am a coward, then you are too. No no, that¡¯s not true; you are a brave young girl, so brave that you want to be, what was it? A charity worker? Yes, you want to help the unfortunate and needy, and most likely, you will spend your own time with them more than me!¡±


    Twitches distorted Aijin¡¯s face, and she started to ramble meaningless things as though the train of her thoughts had no destination. Neha clamped her hands and loosened her jaws. What was her capability at this point to stop her mother from hurting herself? As a daughter, she could have helped her, but her mother continued to agonize and seemed to want pity from others. Neha wanted to cry for her, she wanted to fix her problems once and for all, but now things were too muddy between them.


    The people of the village sat frozen and lifeless. From the silence they imprisoned themselves in, they could fade away in no time. At the stage, the abbots and clergymen came from the back door, and they encircled the jade statue. Rubbing their hands against it, they strung chants and hums in a low volume. The officials then walked around the structure, and soon did their simple movements mesmerized a few villagers. Neha¡¯s mother and Sachen¡¯s parents teetered and perspired, they looked as if they could leap to the stage so as to join in their chants. Neha and Sachen squirmed, for they wanted this to be over.


    As the officials lifted their hands from the statue, they rolled their tongues. Although it might seem strange to some, such an action was soothing the villagers into a lull. The people nodded and brushed their hairs, and they felt nothing but their heartbeats. Running out of breath, the abbots and clergymen concluded the introduction of the service. With dreary faces, they sat down and waited for the Leader to show up. Meanwhile, Sachen¡¯s parents frowned, as they wanted to hear more of the tongue rolling. Next to Sachen, her brother was hammering his hands against the chair in front of him, much to the disturbance of a man sitting there.


    ¡°Monkhuba, don¡¯t that!¡± Restraining his hands, Sachen scowled at him. He was about to cry. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself, you know? And you are in service, so act appropriately! Are you shaking your head? Then I ought to give you a spanking. Mother, father, please help him.¡±


    ¡°No, leave him be,¡± the father said, he slouched his back. ¡°He¡¯s just a kid.¡±


    Sachen then recalled something. After the end of the raid, Tulisen took the girl home, and when she opened the door to her house, she saw her family shaking from the bottom of their feet. Her mother, Saraji, kissed her daughter and told her that before her return, two soldiers from the enemies¡¯ rank broke into their home. They threatened them to give them money or else they would take Saraji. In defiance, Monkhuba picked up a kitchen knife and tried to fend off the intruders; they simply pushed him aside. They were about to kill the parents, but in time did the Holy Army sweep them. The event left Monkhuba in tears. The day before the service, he scratched and bit his skin when he slumbered, and avoided anything that resembled a piece of armor. It was apparent that he¡¯d get over the compulsion, thus Sachen was there to monitor him. She managed to suppress his bodily harm, but now he was rousing himself in pain.


    In the midst of the dread, the back door opened. There emerged the Leader, the one that the villagers had been waiting for. Yebuka sashayed to the podium, with his hand holding onto his stomach. His lips flattened and his skin paled. There was tranquility in his eyes, which came as a surprise to the villagers. To see him in this manner was something divine, and the people were willing to kiss his face countless times until they¡¯d be blessed with relief. The Leader standing near the podium, the villagers muttered gibberish and choked from the awe of their ruler. Some of them wanted to offer condolences for the Leader about the losses his land had compiled.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Straying away from the silence that overshadowed the carnage, the Leader coughed. Clearing his throat, he spoke.


    ¡°Come hither to the dove, young and old, for these times are filled with hopelessness and sadness. We have experienced a lot of things¡­ but the incident days ago showed that we are still vulnerable to the wrath of the gods. The gods above our heads, they had punished us for our sins by sending the tribes from the east to attack us. Bloodshed, devastation, and madness, they all incurred us to the breaking point. From the estimate based on a report taken by Tulisen and his men, about two-hundred out of one-hundred fifty-thousand villagers had died. To us, that is a significant number, no matter how small it is. From the plight, the High Order of the Celestials placed ourselves into great consideration, about our future, our livelihood, and our happiness. Will we remain? Or will we fall into the pages of history? Whatever our future will become, there is no doubt that we must secure ourselves for the sake of our children, our next generation. For now, we must strengthen our soldiers in order for them to protect us. Rigorous training, upgrades of equipment, and emphasis on strategy, they will be spectacular in no time. We are a small community, but with the might and power of our men, we shall not fall easily.¡±


    His words loosened the tension of the populace. They nodded and grunted, their bodies remained stiff. What would the Leader talk about from here?


    ¡°Praise the Lord of Lords,¡± Neha¡¯s mother said, her hands rattles. ¡°I love you. Please protect us from the evildoers.¡±


    From the seats opposite to Aijin, Saraji toted her fists and bulged her eyes. ¡°Kill those who stand in our way! Do what is right for all of us!¡±


    Her words spreading across the atmosphere like wildfire, the people jumped up and down, clapped, and said their thanks for Yebuka. The Leader smiled and waved at the crowd; the gradual fervor of the people extinguished the pallor in his face. He cracked a grin and leaned forward.


    ¡°All of you, have you finally realized the extent of the gods¡¯ anger upon our civilization? For us to witness blood being spilled everywhere, to hear the shouts and bellows of our enemies, and to lose our loved ones, it brings us to realization that there is no remedy to cure the gods of their turbulence! As long as we commit our hearts to wrongdoings, we cannot satisfy them! The incident leaves us with despair, and it will be eternal if we don¡¯t do anything about it! The gods are not happy with the first sacrifice we have made a while ago, so it must mean that we should do more! By God, we need more sacrifices in order to fill their bellies! Lucky for us, we have found somebody that led to the tribe attacking us.¡± Everybody gagged on their own breaths as soon as Yebuka said this. ¡°Yes, there is a direct cause¡­ and many of you will not like hearing it, but it is time to disclose it: there is a perpetrator that had collaborated with the barbarians! Bring her out!¡±


    Upon that order, the abbots hustled to the back door. The anticipation of the upcoming reveal of the perpetrator paralyzed the villagers, so much so that they could not fathom to what was about to happen. Who was her? What did the Leader hope to gain from this? Such questions suffocated their minds, and the more they pondered about them, the more curious they became. To make the feeling worse, a few started to think that the criminal might be themselves. In light of this, their hearts raced and their chests tingled.


    For the two girls, they had no idea. Paleness invaded their faces, leaving them to feel ill about the matter. Who could it be from the stage? Perhaps that it was a foreigner, or a spy within their own civilization.


    ¡°What is going to happen?¡± Neha flushed, she picked her fingernails. She expected little that it could be none other than a mere villager.


    ¡°I hope that this perpetrator would be arrested right away,¡± Sachen uttered, sweat from her neck simmered.


    The back door slammed shut. The abbots returned to the stage and beamed their smiles. They walked in front of the jade statue, and conversed with Leader for a brief time. Widening his grin, Yebuka clasped his hands together and called for them to bring the criminal to light. The whole world, along with the heavens, waited to witness this. And now the gods could conjure the right punishment under the crimes of the person that had supposedly contributed to the madness.


    From there, the abbots brought out the culprit. In handcuffs, along with a sack that concealed the face, the person clamored in cries. There was a rope that wrapped itself around the sack, so as to prevent him/her from speaking out. In the wake of the situation, he/she attempted to rip apart the handcuffs and to gnaw on the rope. Under the muffles, the person barraged curses, but it fell upon deaf ears. It came to be that the presentation of the accused lured the whole temple into interest. The villagers shrilled their voices and hooted for the identity of the criminal to show right now, for they couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Soon, some people ran towards the stage and mocked the unknown individual for committing to evil. They spat, stomped, and poked at him/her. The officials mopped them back to their seats, but they remained stubborn. They banged their fists on the chairs, tears from their eyes blinded them for a while of everything that was in front of them. Maddening as it was at this moment, Neha and Sachen curled back and covered their ears. Now more than ever did they want to run off.


    The cacophony from the populace strained their throats, they spent a lot of energy and now they couldn¡¯t speak. In a thrill that couldn¡¯t be stopped, the kids rocked back and forth, balls of energy they were. The abbots then encircled the criminal and untangled the rope. The object slithered alongside the person¡¯s body, it dropped to the floor. With the pinch of their fingers, they removed slowly the sack. Hair sparkling, eyes clouding, and cheeks sinking within the face, it couldn¡¯t be anymore shocking. What had been a head scratcher for a short time, turned the tides of everybody¡¯s expectations, even for the girls. To the villagers, they regretted that they should have known earlier of this person coming up in the spotlight; nonetheless, the spectacle aroused them.


    As the accused bounced around the stage, she stepped on the feet of the abbots and spewed saliva towards the clergymen. They managed to restrain the person.


    ¡°Let go of me this instant! What the hell am I here for?! You dragged me out of my home, put me in handcuffs, and charged me with a crime that I did not even commit! This is madness, injustice, and cruelty! I demand an explanation!¡±


    The Leader chortled. ¡°Injustice? Clearly you were the one that helped the enemies didn¡¯t you? Of course you would do: you are willing to conspire against us and to kill us all. Your misfortunes led you to this point.¡±


    ¡°Conspire against you guys? That¡¯d be the last thing I¡¯d do! Do not accuse me of such falsehood!¡±


    ¡°I do not tell lies. All that comes from my words are truth, and the gods always know that I am speaking the truth. If I were to lie, then I wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Seething, the accused headbutted one of the clergymen. The fellow men saved their kind from falling, and they badgered the criminal for being reckless and perhaps idiotic. Not more than a second in the spotlight, the villagers jeered and threatened to fight against the accused. Blood they desired, clobbering and crushing criminals might be something that could get the perpetrator to be quiet.


    The moment they saw this happening, Neha and Sachen welled in tears. The two couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. Why was this person here, out of everybody? Innocent or guilty, what led the Leader to bring this? It crossed their minds that perhaps the High Order picked the wrong individuals to be presented on stage, but it was unlikely to be so, for the administration had no capability to commit no error. The girls were offering to themselves a spark of hope that somehow the accused could get away scotch-free.


    With his trademark smile, Yebuka turned forth to the criminal and cackled. The latter glared at him, about to throw her fists towards his face.


    ¡°Let us commence everything that we know in regards to this malicious, black-hearted person,¡± Yebuka said. ¡°No accusations from us shall go to waste, for this offender had done enough damage to warrant the people¡¯s rage into a full-blown frenzy. You have hurt everybody here.¡±


    The Leader whistled and flicked his sleeves. Countless eyes watching the stage, the people leaned to the edge of their seats, there was no purpose in leaving now. All their anticipation and dread were going to pay off, and indeed they were willing to put the accused to justice and punishment.


    Seconds fleeted, and the Leader grimaced. He tilted his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right... Usheniko Ganshipe?¡±

 Chapter 13: Accusations

    One of the abbots slapped Usheniko, and it left the woman in tears. Collapsing to the floor, everybody hounded and cursed at her. Usheniko curled her body and covered her eyes; for her to be here was the worst thing that could ever happen to her after the ordeal she faced in her past.


    ¡°Kill the witch!¡± Aijin said, turning to Neha. ¡°This is the woman you are friends with, right? You cannot go near her anymore, do you understand? She is dangerous, evil, and demonic; what more can I say!¡±


    ¡°M-mother, she isn¡¯t like that!¡± Neha shook her fists and glared at her parent. ¡°She has not done anything wrong!¡±


    ¡°Oh how would you know that? Perhaps that she has brainwashed you with her psychic powers; no wonder you say such a thing. Oh honey, don¡¯t be like this, you should know better than to not associate with her! Now she is on stage, arrested for her crimes; it is absolutely right for the High Order to lock her up, so that she will not pose much threats any longer!¡± Aijin resumed the barrage of her insults. She stood up and pointed her finger, the enthusiasm in her eyes inflicted much pain upon her daughter. Neha could not help but call for Usheniko. She raised herself and was about to go to the aisle, but Aijin dragged her back to her seat. Sullen and shocked, Neha trembled.


    While the clamor still occurred, Sachen¡¯s parents threw themselves in the air. Their faces burning and their voices thundering, they fueled the fire of the people¡¯s rage that grew so much that nothing could extinguish it all together. Sachen seethed, and she thrust her parents back to their seats. But they persevered. She urged herself to come up to the stage and save Usheniko from this madness, but the aisles were beginning to be congested with people from the side. The girl could only watch.


    ¡°Cut her head off!¡± said Datai, a buildup of sweat glossed his forehead. ¡°Do it right now, I don¡¯t want her in my sight!¡±


    ¡°Throw her in the grasslands and finish her off, just like what you did to them!¡± Saraji said. She let out a giggle. ¡°Hurry up, hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Mom, papa, are you mad?!¡± Sachen grabbed her father¡¯s tunics and reeled him to his seat, she did the same to her mother. The parents reddened their faces more, and they hacked on their saliva.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing Sachen?!¡± Datai said. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that we are expressing ourselves against the reincarnation of the devil right there?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Saraji clicked her teeth, she folded her arms. ¡°And I wonder Sachen, if Usheniko has managed to trick you into her so-called friendship? Maybe she was planning to chop you up and cook you for her very own consumption. Isn¡¯t that terrifying? She is a witch after all, so of course she would do the same to anybody that come in her home!¡±


    ¡°You are talking nonsense mother,¡± Sachen said, ¡°and I don¡¯t even know where you get those beliefs from! Don¡¯t act so stupid in front of Monkhuba and me!¡±


    ¡°¡¯Stupid?¡¯ You dare call me that? Why I ought to give you-¡± Propelling herself to her daughter, Saraji raised her hand and swooshed it to Sachen¡¯s side. Datai snatched his wife and brought her to her seat before she could slap her kid. Sachen grumbled as the commotion hammered her head, and it became more painful when Monkhuba wailed. Sachen comforted him, but he was unable to stop. From there, Neha and Sachen sat with terror on their faces and with complete shock; they felt powerless to do anything. After all, to overmaster the crowd if they were to intervene sounded daunting. Their strength alone wouldn¡¯t do anything to change the course of this situation.


    Ten minutes flew by, and the people settled down. Once they sat on their seats, the Leader resumed the service. He pursed his lips, and for the whole time did he keep his eyes wide open.


    ¡°Now, as my people continue to examine this decadent, horrifying person, I shall tell you all the accusations that some of our informers gave to the clergymen¡ªall in details, and one must pay attention! This woman right here is arrested for many charges, from witchcraft, treason against the state, the failure to pay taxes, and worse of all... oh yes, she had leaked details of our village to the enemies from the east! Yes, you have heard me! All those things that she had done, and she got away with it! Since last year, she has been living in this village, with the intent of corrupting the youth and destroying our civilization as we know it. Maniacal she is, there is no doubt that she must be put under handcuffs, for the safety of our children. In regards to your collaboration with the enemies, we have a single witness to prove that.¡±


    Yebuka glared at Usheniko, who trembled and coughed. With the narrowing of his pupils, he stared at her for a while; it was tearing the woman alive. Who was the witness? It riddled her mind, and she could come up with a guess that it could be a customer from her business that intended to make false statements against her. She knew she was innocent, but she had no reason to why the Leader would summon a witness if she had not done anything wrong.


    The Leader slammed his hands on the podium and snapped his fingers. It revived the people into another wave of uproar, but soon they were quiet again.


    ¡°My people, you are waiting so patiently. Well now it¡¯s the time to reveal the person; and the mad woman is not going to like it one bit. Usheniko Ganshipe.¡± When he looked at her again, the Leader snickered. There was something dark forming in his eyes.


    Gulping a stockpile of saliva down her throat, Usheniko rubbed her cheeks against her shoulders. She then glanced at the furthest left part of the aisle, and her heart stopped. Behind the shadows, no denial served the fact that the person there was already familiar to her. Words she couldn¡¯t spill out, tears she could barely shed, Usheniko sulked. The witness walked through the aisle and arrived on stage.


    ¡°No no, it cannot be her! Why must you bring her here?! She cannot be the witness!¡±


    Yebuka laughed. ¡°You are oblivious to the one closest to you, madam. Behold my fellow villagers, this is the one that you are hungry for. It is none other than her daughter... Azukunika.¡±


    The people applauded upon the young lady¡¯s presence. Always wearing the same robes, always holding a cold expression, the young lady sneered at Usheniko. She crouched towards her, and stabbed the woman with her grin. Why would she show up against her mother¡¯s behalf?


    ¡°Azukunika. My dear, I demand an explanation. Tell me that the High Order is deceiving you to do this. You must be doing this because of the money, that¡¯s all, right? I shall provide you my profits, for whatever you might buy for yourself, okay? Please be a good girl and walk away. Please please, I beg you, or else I¡¯ll give you a spanking.¡±


    Azukunika retracted her lips. She stood up and kicked her heels against the floor. ¡°Spanking? If you only knew that things are not what they seem, then you would not do such a thing to me.¡±


    ¡°W-what are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I have something to prove to you.¡± Rummaging her pockets, Azukunika presented a parchment. There was a red seal at the bottom corner of the paper. She giggled for a bit like the paper itself was a complete farce. ¡°This is the document that I¡¯ve signed before I confessed my sightings to the High Order, to confirm that I uphold the truth to all things. I have done the right thing, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Usheniko¡¯s eyes were full of tears. A force tightened her neck, and at once did she gasp for breath.


    ¡°N-no¡­ how could you do this?! This must be a fake! Somebody must have deceived you, I can tell right away!¡±


    Yebuka arched his eyebrows. ¡°How so? Do you have any rebuttals to back that claim up? I guess not. Anyways, Ms. Azukunika Ganshipe, do you mind telling us what you saw during your mother¡¯s wrongdoings?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Tapping her chest and breathing slowly, Azukunika drew herself to the audience. The people showed much inquisitiveness from the presence of the young lady alone, some of them wanted to ask questions about her past. But they looked forward to hearing her testimony.


    ¡°Ever since I arrived at this village, I have kept a close watch of her, with all intents to make sure that she was all right. One day, she was not home, which perhaps I must have thought that she was gathering some herbs for me in order to make me medicine since I contracted the stomach flu. I looked everywhere, but I couldn¡¯t find her. At the eastern gate, a couple of guards approached me. They stated that Usheniko wandered off into the forest, under the premise that she was picking more of the herbs. I went in there, and found that she was traversing through the river; she made it to the other side, and from that point, I eavesdropped on her. She walked near the cave, which is supposed to be off-limits to the commoners, and she came rushing when she saw the enemies coming forth. With her evil, disgusting mind, she conversed with them about the plans to attack the village. She told that they had to strike on a rainy day to create the most devastation upon us. This was from one of her fortunes in fact. She also told them to kill anybody in their way, as to create terror and smash the hearts within our chests. Goodness were they excited! Usheniko did not show a face of regret when doing that. In fact, she laughed the whole time! She said to the officer with a mustache that her intention was to take vengeance, because the High Order of the Celestials have offended her generation, her bloodline, and her occupation! I am ashamed to be part of her family.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Azukunika panted, she then coughed. After her testimony, the audience whispered to themselves and at the same time they sweated too much; the witness¡¯s account was so compelling that the people were at a loss for words.


    The Leader shrilled and stretched his arms. ¡°Thank you, thank you Azukunika. As always, you are loyal to the cause; I shall reward you later on before you go back to prison.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome my Lord. Now I will take my leave.¡± Lifting the lower part of her robes, Azukunika bowed to the ruler. She then picked up her feet. Usheniko seized one of Azukunika¡¯s legs, something within herself caused a fire to swell her whole body in heat. Rarely did she feel such an impression, and as much as it became ever so powerful, the woman doused the fire albeit it leaving too much pain.


    ¡°Why, why must you tell lies to your own mother like that? I didn¡¯t do it, don¡¯t be making things up! Do you have something resentful within you that led you to this? Tell me, please, for I am here for you.¡±


    Azukunika scoffed and shrugged. She wagged her finger. Bringing her legs away, she lowered herself again. She latched onto the woman¡¯s necklace and choked her until she was deprived of oxygen. The glimmers on the emerald struck Azukunika¡¯s nerves; she seemed to remember something terrible from looking at it. The lady released her grip.


    ¡°You killed him. You killed the one that I cherished.¡±


    With a frown, Azukunika left the stage. Usheniko choked, her eyes rolled as her daughter disappeared from her view. Darkness shrouded her face, and for a lack of better words, it began to drown her. Whatever Azukunika meant by that, Usheniko could not find an answer, but for her ¡®daughter¡¯ to speak out her testimony and turn her back like that was something that she could not tolerate. It felt like the whole world smashed her into pieces, a thought that left her in sneers and jeers from the crowd.


    Yebuka fanned his face with his sleeves. He sighed. ¡°What a pity for her to do that. But the dove of salvation will surely save Ms. Azukunika Ganshipe from her sins by serving her remaining time in prison. At least when she is in her cell, she will stray away from the corruption of her mother. I¡¯m so sorry, that you had to see your daughter telling the truth. Now my villagers, who wants to hear more?¡±


    Once more, the cheers of the people stormed the atmosphere again. The people at the front rows thrashed themselves and begged and shrieked.


    Neha and Sachen remained as they were. With their parents contributing to the clamor, they clammed their mouths and sweated. If only there was a good opportunity that could allow them to speak up, that could help them in such a struggle, then it might have been a game changer. But from the endless noise, it bred them nothing but the trembling of their hearts. So as it was, it pained them to even look at their friend; they started to blame themselves for their cowardice, and perceived much that Usheniko would not give them reprieve.


    By the swaying of his hands did the Leader lull the audience. All the voices he had to absorb through his ears, he still stood with confidence brimming around his aura.


    ¡°Because of her daughter¡¯s imprisonment, it motivated Usheniko to commit to vengeance. She was so angry that she entirely set a different course for her business; she transitioned from counseling to the occult. From psychic visions, to palm readings, to astrology, to witchcraft, which those things are illegal under our edicts, she made more money than before. The villagers really appreciate her services! With her business being successful, she felt that she needed to take drastic measure in order to start her vengeance. According to reports, she kidnapped children and drained them of blood in order to make a poisonous potions for her customers, so that slowly, she could annihilate our existences! But she wanted to take things even further: she wanted to destroy the whole village itself! And from my statement about her interaction with the enemies in the forest, there is absolute validity that she deserves to be punished!¡±


    Everybody bolted, and they rubbed their ears and gasped. Neha and Sachen¡¯s parents embraced their daughters, tears were flowing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Neha, I didn¡¯t know!¡± Aijin said. ¡°You were hurt by that devil? I should have saved you earlier!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯d never do that-¡±


    ¡°My goodness, I guess this must be the effect of her spells! Don¡¯t let her get into your head, please!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Despite Neha imploring her parent to stop, Aijin continued. Letting go of her child, the mother sobbed. Neha turned to the side and looked the aisle.


    Datai squeezed Sachen, while Saraji pestered her daughter not to approach the so-called witch.


    ¡°And if I hear a rejection from you, then I have to lock you up in your bedroom!¡± said Saraji. Sachen pushed her father away and growled. Monkhuba giggled, making her feel worse.


    Yebuka continued to speak. His eyes were twitching. ¡°Black-hearted, isn¡¯t it? All of that for the sake of her daughter! Can you imagine how stupid that is? Yet, nobody caught her red-handed, and it is my fault for not catching her earlier. Even when her daughter returned to the village, which I had allowed Azukunika to visit her parent for a short time, she still wanted to hurt us. Along the time in her job, Usheniko raked in a lot of profit, and she had the intention to see her family again far south of the village. She thought that they¡¯d come back from the hard times that we have experienced two years ago.¡± Yebuka ripped a piece of dead skin from his chin, and he loosened his collar. ¡°She does not know at all doesn¡¯t she? How laughable, how naive. She hasn¡¯t realized it! Now we can tell her... is that right, Usheniko?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    Usheniko lurched her gaze to the podium. She wanted to ask about it, but the glaring eyes of the ruler congested her head. What did he know about her family, that she didn¡¯t?


    Clutching onto the edges of the podium, Yebuka snickered to himself. He lifted his head and coughed a little. His demeanor hinted a small sparkle that disappeared in a blink of an eye. The sight of the figure buried Usheniko alive; little could she listen anymore to his words, little could she bear the weight of the outrage from the villagers. From this point, her heart snapped in half. Now everything was about to fall apart, she had no choice but to bear the burden.


    No hope for the woman, Yebuka delivered the final blow. He laughed before composing himself. He leered at the ceiling.


    ¡°Your family, is in fact, had been arrested for conspiracy and corruption. For a long time, they had supported the venal regime of Ozughen, the 27th Leader with money and valuables. After the revolution, my associates and I arrested all your blood relations. We deported them to the grasslands and killed them.¡±


    All in a flash, the revelation destroyed Usheniko from within.


    ¡°No, no! It cannot be!¡±


    Usheniko languished in tears and slapped her hands on the floor. She wailed so loud that the people on the balcony shook themselves and rocketed to the ceiling. There was nothing that could help her from this turmoil; the gods didn¡¯t bother to bring about justice for her woes. Out of complete agony, the woman fainted. Neha and Sachen stood up and called out for her, but the roar of the audience teared their voices into tatters.


    After the Leader¡¯s lengthy statement, he formed a circle with his associates. They deliberated for a short time regarding the verdict, and all of them nodded and heaved. They then broke away from the circle, and Yebuka¡¯s smile grew larger than before. He stared down at the people in the front rows, which shivered them to the fullest. A gasp coming from him, he lured his eyes to Neha and her mother; he winked. Neha looked away. What was the purpose of him doing that the second time around?


    The Leader bit his lips. He clicked his teeth.


    ¡°For Usheniko Ganshipe, the verdict is death by execution.¡±

 Chapter 14: Injustice

    It was the day after the declaration of the verdict. The High Order was preparing for the event this warm night. The Leader had sent one detachment from the administration to do the job, along with a section of the Holy Army. In the domain, a hundred villagers gathered around a bundle of stakes that were propped up in a circle, they laughed and chatted about how their days had been so far. It seemed mundane enough. But inside, they were ravenous for justice and blood. They were waiting for the very moment that they could see the punishment coming to the accused.


    From the back part of the temple, a group of abbots carried the criminal with a pair of chains wrapped around the latter¡¯s wrists. In a complete loss of energy and heart, Usheniko cast her eyes downward and ignored the endless insults from the people. No more strength, nothing left to live for her daughter, she gave up. To struggle meant to make herself more vulnerable, and for sure, doing so might cause the execution to be more of a slow, excruciating torture. After all, everybody wanted her gone.


    With Usheniko standing still, the villagers poisoned the air with their words. Some of them wished death upon her entire family. Some of them wanted to cut her head and drain her blood upon the ground for the gods to consume. Nasty they were, Usheniko held her sobriety.


    The woman dropped to her knees. Running her fingers through the blades of grass, the touch of nature reminded her well of Azukunika. She missed the good times with her daughter before the revolution; braiding her hair, helping her pick the right herbs, and giving fortunes to each other, she yearned for such times to last forever. Cruel as reality was, those memories became unpleasant even if she tried to forget it, and it left her a void in herself.


    From the crowd, Neha and Sachen pushed themselves to Usheniko¡¯s side. The moment they saw her, the duo whimpered.


    ¡°My little sparrows, you shouldn¡¯t be here. Where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°T-they let us go out for this occasion,¡± said Neha. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to leave you behind.¡±


    Sachen pinched her own elbows. ¡°Me neither. But Usheniko, how can they do this to you?! They are telling lies! We believe you, that you were not there in the forest back! Perhaps that they have mistaken us for you! But why must they hurt you like this, just why?! And for them to accuse you of vengeance, it¡¯s ridiculous! A good person like you is incapable of doing that!¡±


    ¡°My dear, please don¡¯t worry about it. Everything is my fault, I led myself to this point. Even if they found out it was you, they would use me as a scapegoat anyway, since I held so much suspicion to the people. Sure, you¡¯re right on the vengeance part; I don¡¯t even have the will to do so, for I never think of defending anybody by inciting maliciousness. But still, I don¡¯t know what to think or to say anymore. My heart is completely broken.¡±


    Neha stroked the woman¡¯s head. ¡°U-Usheniko, I think that your daughter needs to say sorry to you. There¡¯s no way that you have committed those accusations from yesterday. But for your daughter to betray you, I feel so bad. I don¡¯t want to imagine what her reasons might be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Usheniko said. ¡°But for certain, she hates me since the day she arrived here. Her being aloof and cold towards me, it seems that I am a bad parent to her. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°N-no, not at all!¡±


    ¡°Haha. Neha, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not a good person anyway. I shouldn¡¯t have given you the chance to go to the forest and find Kuraizang right away.¡±


    In astonishment, Sachen grabbed Usheniko¡¯s hands and caressed them against her cheeks. Usheniko pouted, before retreating to her gloom. Sachen let go of her hands and scratched herself, and she went close to Usheniko¡¯s face. Her eyes drooped.


    ¡°You must know something about the cave, if I may ask? What is Kuraizang dealing with as of now? I remember when you approached us before our search for him; your face seemed distressed and sad. I didn¡¯t want to point it out right away, but if you don¡¯t mind, can you please tell us? Even if you don¡¯t know much, then you should have something.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All the sudden, Usheniko glanced away. She stammered and grimaced. The chains around her wrists itched her, causing her to get rashes. At first she hesitated, for she thought that her answer might scare the girls, but perhaps it was preferred that she could say something at the very least. She returned her eyes to them.


    ¡°Listen to me girls, and listen very well. Your classmate, Kuraizang, is in danger. Whether he is in the cave or not, there is no guarantee that he will survive.¡± Usheniko lowered her voice as the abbots were getting impatient at her. ¡°Heck, he might not be in the forest, but don¡¯t let that discourage you. The cave in which he¡¯s supposed to be in will soon become his eternal prison. The boy might lose something that is a part of him, mentally or physically, and from that alone, the High Order considers it as a way to make the gods happy. The purpose of the spiritual mission is to detach a person¡¯s soul and everything within it, in the most painful manner possible. Most of the time, people who are assigned to the missions did not return alive.¡± Usheniko¡¯s mouth ached. ¡°I should have said this to them a while ago...¡±


    An abbot jabbing the woman¡¯s back in impatience, Usheniko walked forth. Neha and Sachen followed her trails until they reached the stakes. Usheniko winced and expelled a sigh, the voices of the villagers drowned in her ears. She closed her eyes.


    ¡°I know this, because I was-¡± Usheniko¡¯s words suddenly clogged in her throat. Her face turned crimson and her jaws stiffened. Memories struck her like lightning, it was then that she became too anxious to finish her sentence. She diverted her concentration to the current situation.


    Despite the chains weighing her down, Usheniko with her dying strength lifted her hands and loosened her emerald necklace. She could see from the jewel the reflection of her melancholy to which it had subjugated her above all things.


    ¡°Before I go, I want to give you this. Take it as a little present.¡±


    Usheniko gave it to Sachen. It left the girl puzzled. ¡°Huh? Your necklace? But why?¡±


    ¡°Because you remind me of Azukunika, a tenacious and strong-hearted girl. In fact, this necklace is a replica that I have made a long time ago. Azukunika has the real one, but she does not wear it anymore. I¡¯m sorry Neha, that I don¡¯t have a spare. The necklace is designed to give you blessings and happiness, in case that you would experience some harsh times. Please wear it Sachen, so that I can see it.¡±


    ¡°Sure...¡±


    Neha going behind Sachen, she attached both ends of the strand around her friend¡¯s neck. The emerald dragged Sachen a bit, and it clinked on her chest.


    ¡°You look stunning, just like my daughter before then,¡± said Usheniko. ¡°I wish that the necklace will be with you forever, so that you will remember me always, although that is a selfish wish coming from me, haha.¡±


    Not much time left, Usheniko strode to the stakes and headed inside the circle. Her heart grew wings and fluttered out of her bosom, there came little in her but emptiness. In the wake of her coming doom, she smiled at the two girls one more time. Eternity in oblivion was about to unfold. She wished them to lead good lives, so that they could find happiness.


    ¡°Well guys, I guess this is goodbye. Oh please don¡¯t cry for me, for you are beautiful little ones. Please preserve your everlasting beauty. I am thankful that you guys are my friends. I will forever hold you in my heart. I love you both.¡±


    She said no more. Neha and Sachen collapsed into tears and wailed so much that the earth shuddered. In desperation did they try to yank the chains and retrieve their friend. But heavy they were, the girls exhausted themselves in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°No!¡±


    As Sachen was going to attempt the endeavor again, the soldiers came into the domain and pulled the girls away. They tossed them into the crowd. The soldiers then approached the circle and brandished the rifles from their hips. A fellow soldier from the side was bearing a torch, the heat from it scorched the faces of the villagers. Neha and Sachen hugged each other, they shut their eyes and quivered; within themselves did they hold dread. To lose their best friend was the worst present the world had to give to them, so what was the use of accepting such a present if it would later tear them bit by bit?


    The last visible stars fell from the portrait of the night sky and became a blank canvas. The world materialized into solid darkness. The villagers hushed and watched the event with a buildup of gratification, as if the woman¡¯s death would add meaning to their lives.


    Gunshots rang. The soldier threw the torch in the circle. The wings of inferno led Usheniko into a realm of nothingness. Peace soon extinguished her.

 Chapter 15: Tulisen

    The desert bred chills and frost among the air. The valleys of sand brought the clouds to tremors, and the looks of it overwhelmed a platoon of the Holy Army in awe, they could go a hundred miles just to see how large such valleys were. It was normal to them that a landscape like this would be bone-chilling and vast, devoid of creatures that would have been a pain in a butt to deal with. They heard that before in their times, the desert used to be blazing hot and was filled with cactuses and scorpions and snakes. They saw and felt none of that.


    Just as they were about to rest their rifles, a series of barrages blasted towards them. The junior officer, Tulisen, waved his hand to the platoon besides him.


    ¡°Get down, get down!¡± Everybody buried part of their bodies underneath the sand, they started to attack the barbarians ahead of them. Those enemies, they wore long-sleeved shirts and cloth masks to conceal their identities; well indeed, the Holy Army never knew who they were, for they rarely came face-to-face.


    The enemies fired first. Their bullets zipped through the air and struck at some of Tulisen¡¯s men. Only one was bleeding to death. Tulisen ordered for first aid, and two soldiers escorted the injured one back to the camp. In the ferocity of the moment, Tulisen sniped and killed the barbarians one by one. Right away, his men followed suit. They cocked their rifles and launched a row of ammo towards the barbarians. From afar, the blood of the fiends soaked and discolored the sands and rocks. Their brains blew out, their lips and nostrils turned white as a ghost. Still, they were relentless. A loud roar coming from them, the barbarians flung forward, and being close to the platoon, they opened fire and threw pebbles from the surface.


    ¡°At this rate, we can¡¯t-¡± A bullet flew through Tulisen¡¯s shoulders. It grazed his armor. ¡°Damn!¡± His heart almost stopped. One sentence more and his brains would have exploded into confetti.


    One of his men suggested to fall back, but Tulisen declined. He stated that they should finish the fight, or die trying. It was after all from the words of the Leader, that the Holy Army need to fight the war to the very end, no matter how difficult things might be. Hearing that, they shivered from head to toe, and they amplified their aggression. Reloading and clicking the triggers, they spewed hell. More of the enemies died off, and they tumbled into the sand with nothing but howls in their language. The men then ceased firing. Once they stood up, they examined the bodies. Guts, muscles, and bones were everywhere, they lingered a scent that one could compare it to a dead animal filled with flies. Tulisen looked back, he suppressed his urge to vomit.


    ¡°This is what they get for declaring war on us,¡± he said. ¡°Dang, we lost one man already.¡± Tulisen told the soldiers to retrieve the firearms and the ammunition from the carcasses.


    While they were doing that, Tulisen stared at the sand dunes far away from his vicinity. They coasted and waved along the ground, some of them touched the clouds. The desert was vast and open, and it was quite so that Tulisen had no knowledge of what lied beyond the land. In fact, he and the others had never journeyed to the civilization of the desert barbarians. Only the High Order knew what was there, based on some of the officials sending themselves on diplomatic missions. Though curiosity made him consider journeying through the environment, it was dangerous to go further than what was required of the officer, so he stayed put, being scared that the enemies might ambush him if he were to be alone.


    Going back to his unit, one of his soldiers reported that twenty-two enemies had died from the fight. Tulisen panted. For his platoon managed to wipe out a single group, he never expected for him and his men to win in such a harsh environment. He put his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Good job guys. Now let us go back to the camp. We ain¡¯t got much to do today... except to mourn for our fellow comrades.¡± The soldiers gave the report on the casualties.


    ¡°One man died today, seven wounded.¡±


    His men wept. So far, Tulisen had lost three men in the desert; still, he moved on from their deaths, he felt that crying over them did no good for the departure of their souls. Then with his lead, his platoon returned to the camp. A dozen of tents there, to which most of them were for the accommodation of soldiers and officers, Tulisen parted from his men. He headed for an open tent, the place where he could rest himself. He sat on a chair, kicked his legs up the tables, and drank tea. In patience did he wait for other officers to arrive so that he could give a report on today¡¯s skirmish. He heard from the development of war in the other fronts that the conflict was boiling to the tipping point. Many people from both belligerents died more often than expected, especially in the battle among the mountains, where the tribesmen there were known to be fierce and suicidal in their charges. It was within confidence that the Holy Army would crush them, also with the other barbarians that had the audacity to fight with little consideration of their numbers. Tulisen believed the enemies were at heart, senseless.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    As he leaned on the chair, Tulisen gazed at the desert and relished the setting of the sun. The sun itself touched the dunes and sailed towards the horizon. It brought the sky into a series of lines, each of the lines were brighter than the last, and it created a scarlet bloom. Tulisen chuckled, he wished that he could take somebody here and watch the colors with him. But him being a bachelor, he groaned.


    ¡°I wonder what those girls are doing right now,¡± Tulisen said as he sipped the last of his tea. ¡°They must be traumatized by the witch¡¯s execution. Goodness, I hope they are okay.¡±


    From the raid of the forest barbarians, after Tulisen took Neha and Sachen home, he immediately went to the temple and complained to the High Order about the fragility of the village¡¯s defense. The officials said that the walls were in tatters, and that they were planning to make some improvements. Tulisen didn¡¯t believe that the problem lied with the walls. It was due to a lack of manpower and weapons, and he knew from that suggestion that it¡¯d take a lot of persuasion to change their minds. But he walked off in frustration. To him, the only viable solution was to raise more troops and maintain their upkeep by high taxes, and the villagers would not complain of it one bit.


    To beg the question for himself, he pondered how the savages of the east were able to obtain the equipment from the village. Days before the raid, he found out that the enemies had attacked the armory from the northern district during the middle of the night. Armors, guns, helmets, and flags, he couldn¡¯t fathom their capability of pulling it off without getting caught. The ones at the northern gate could have apprehended them if all of them had not gone to sleep; if Tulisen were there, then he would have kept them awake. It was not much of a wonder when the Holy Army first met the raiders with confusing looks. They initially thought that they were part of their military, but as clear as day, they got it wrong.


    Tulisen put his porcelain cup on the table, and he rubbed his eyes. ¡°I expect that this war will end in two weeks. But such expectation is unrealistic; those savages from the four corners of the land are attacking us simultaneously. They are clearly working together to destroy our civilization. Well I can¡¯t allow it. As long as the gods are helping us, then nothing can come in our way. We must be victorious, we must be gracious.¡±


    The gold chain clinked on his left pocket, and it sent chills down Tulisen¡¯s spine. He gripped the chain, so hard that it peeled the dead skin from his palm. He recalled someone close to him, and right away, memories transpired. Hissing and scratching himself, Tulisen groveled over the table, he wanted to crush them all. That someone was his superior, the person he used to follow and execute orders from, the person whose wife named Aijin he got along with.


    Tulisen drew his breath. His eyes burned as the scarlet sky flourished.


    ¡°Yesun. It¡¯s been a long time isn¡¯t it? The last time I saw you, you were in handcuffs and were sent to the desert.¡± Tulisen scowled, his head throbbed. ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t tell your kid much about your situation. It would be too terrifying for the young one. But, I feel like I have to say it someday. It is never too late isn¡¯t it? No, I shouldn¡¯t do that. I think it is better to keep quiet about it. I can tell that you are hearing this Yesun, somewhere, wherever you are among the stars.¡±


    Before Tulisen could say more, he coughed. He breathed slowly, and winced when the face of Yesun appeared before his eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but think more about his former superior.


    ¡°You used to lead me on missions, and you were quite charismatic and dashing. Oh, you wished that your child can have the same traits as you. She is a stark contrast to you indeed. But if you are wondering, she is okay right now, and she is just trying to get over somebody that have parted ways in the most brutal term possible. Yes, you were the one who interacted with that somebody long ago. As a result, you got in a great deal of trouble. Only the gods know where you are resting now. If I have time to spare, then I should search throughout the desert for you. Or what remains of you.¡±


    The junior officer refilled his cup, and drank more tea.

 Chapter 16: Neha, Dispirited

    Shuffling around the hallways, the students polluted the air with their conversations and giggles. It seemed as though they let nothing bother them. The attack of the barbarians remained fresh in their head, they could not neglect the horrors and bloodshed they had endured. Losing their friends and families, it still broke their hearts. The witnessing of the accused from the service depleted much of their energy, from their oohs and ahhs and their monstrous screams. Nevertheless, they meandered about their academic troubles more than anything else at this moment; it came to a point where they could forget about the events in the past.


    The students going to the flagpole area, Neha and Sachen were still in the hallways. Neha followed her friend. Like Sachen, she felt ill from the event of Usheniko¡¯s execution, and she even cried for countless days until her mother coerced her to stop wasting tears. It happened in a flash, and it left a scar within her. How could they do such a thing to a woman like her friend? Where did they base their accusations from? The emotions and cries of the people that had radiated the temple back then, it shuddered Neha, and made her think well that the people showed no sympathy for the accused, a horrible thing to realize.


    ¡°If Usheniko was accused of all those charges, what had happened before then?¡± Just as she tried to find an answer, something stung her nerves. Usheniko being on the stage and letting the people insult her became too much to remember. Perhaps to her, the accusations against Usheniko was more painful than her death; she wondered how her friend was able to go through the injustice in spite of the uproar.


    Sachen brisking faster than usual, Neha called her many times. She paced close to her. Her hands clenched into fists, her eyes pried upon the wall beside her. Since that day, Sachen was quiet. In the neighborhood, in the classroom, and at the flagpole, she said nothing to Neha, not even a hello or a goodbye. The silence, Neha could permit, but it lasting too long began to make her feel guilty.


    Her chest drummed, and Neha raised her voice.


    ¡°S-Sachen! Do you want to hang out at the end of the day?¡±


    No response from her friend, Neha¡¯s face deflated. She turned herself around and leaned against the wall. Staring at the bulletin board, she pondered about what she had to say even further for Sachen to notice her. Neha glanced at her hands, and pale they were, they could become transparent. She might turn into a ghost at this point in time.


    But, as luck had it, Sachen ran to her side. Neha faced her and saw a smile that seemed too good to look like one.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Neha. I am going to be busy all day, and possibly every day. I might put a burden on you regarding this, but it¡¯s all right. Let¡¯s hang out another time, okay?¡±


    Before Neha could say anything more, Sachen walked off. Neha lifted her own hands and hovered them around Sachen¡¯s shoulders. The latter burst to the front door and went to the flagpole, leaving Neha in sighs. There was no way that she could get her back. She smiled for a bit when she got at least a meager response from her friend, but it sent her into a slump. Neha then considered that it was better to give Sachen time for herself; maybe Sachen would feel well. How could she think that though, when the loss of their friend afflicted the both of them?


    Neha tilted her head upward and prayed to the gods that everything would be okay.


    ***


    Using the gold coins that Tulisen gave her a day ago, Neha picked up medicine from a local pharmacist. Since Tulisen was busy with the matters of war, with his responsibilities as a junior officer, Neha needed to help her mother in whatever ways possible. Her father used to be the one that¡¯d make such errands, and now it was time for her to fill the role. At first she hesitated, since she had little knowledge of how to proceed in asking the pharmacist about the right medicine. She thought to herself that it might be better if she were to write a note and give it, but she had to muster up the courage. Thus after half an hour of fumbling around and squealing, she got the item she needed.


    Neha strolled to the western district. It had been three days since she last met Sachen in the hallways. As people walked along the streets, Neha dropped her gaze down and nodded to herself, the presence of the villagers suffocated her. She wanted to run off as fast as she could, but there were too many people around her vicinity; without her friend around, it brought her in a vulnerable state. It was natural for her to feel this way however, so in the end, this feeling would go away as soon as she headed for her house.


    Returning home, she glanced at Sachen¡¯s house. The place was devoid of noise. As she knew it, Sachen would come back to the neighborhood late in the day, even near midnight on some occasions. Her parents scolded her every time this happened, so intervention was not a considerable option, yet their voices were loud enough to wake up Neha sometimes in the dead of night.


    She walked to the doorsteps, holding onto the medicine bag with the tips of her fingers. She dangled on the edge and looked back. A huge breath she exhaled, she maintained her balance. She surveyed the area around her, and confirmed that nobody was approaching her. A stranger or an acquaintance, Neha had to go inside the house and shut herself from unwarranted contact. But everything was safe so far. She only needed to enter and get over it, that was all. She took a breather again.


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    A force then whooshed the air. Feeling it, Neha once more tipped herself on the edge. From behind, somebody straightened her body and poked the back of her shoulders. She thought that it was the will of the gods that prevented her from falling down, but it wasn¡¯t so. The poking persisted, and Neha trembled and called for help. She glanced side to side, and nobody was there among her personal space¡ªshe dismissed it as a figment of her imagination.


    The poking happened again and again. With much of her apprehension, Neha turned to the rear. The person before her, she had little anticipation for her arrival, and out of all times, this was surely a terrible one. The girl shifted her gaze away.


    ¡°W-what are you doing here Azukunika?¡±


    The young lady cast her hood away. She snickered. ¡°How goes your friendship with Sachen? Was the event so painful that you two are quiet towards each other? I jest! Good thing she is gone. Otherwise, the whole village might be a cesspool of sin and darkness. So it was right that the High Order executed her, rather than let her live long.¡±


    ¡°What are you laughing for? Shouldn¡¯t you be ashamed of yourself, for hurting your mother like that?¡±


    Azukunika crumpled her eyebrows and bent her grin. ¡°Why should I feel such shame? Is it because we are just related, that I should have remorse and sadness for her death? It¡¯s all foolish! I saw her all right, in that forest hanging out with the enemies and leaking information. And she did the same thing to other barbarians around our civilization in her spare time, in order to escalate the war. She did the crime, now she is serving her time in oblivion. No matter what, I cannot help but ignite my disgust and contempt for her; her existence alone kept bothering me for almost an eternity. She is vile, immoral, and heinous, just like everybody else in her family!¡± She slapped her own knees. ¡°I will never forget the day I saw blood from him. Horrible.¡±


    ¡°I thought you came to visit your mother¡­ but I never knew that it led to this. All along, did you have the intention of hurting her, of wanting her to die? What is the matter?¡± Neha parroted those questions countless times, but Azukunika zipped her mouth from such things. Neha¡¯s muscles tensed themselves and burned like fire. Her voice straining, she squealed.


    A hunch on her back, Azukunika leaned close to the child¡¯s face. Her hair and skin fumed a bitter, peppermint scent, as though she had traversed into a farmer¡¯s field.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to give a reason to a squirt like you. My hatred is mine alone. To be honest, if I had the opportunity to, I would have killed Usheniko right in her slumber! But being close to her upon my return to the village, I could not do much but complain and ignore her words, for everything she talked about was bugging me to the fullest! I swear, under the gods and the abode of heaven, that I will fulfill the tasks given by the Leader and the High Order until I go back to prison.¡±


    ¡°You would kill her?¡± Neha shook her fists. ¡°How terrible of you. The more I think about it, the more I realize that you are not a good daughter after all. Turning your mother in under false charges, how far do you have to go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the fact that Usheniko was posing a threat, that the High Order had begged for me to come back and watched over her, so that she wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid. But sadly, much to my underestimation, I let her loose. She continued to work on witchcraft, drank blood out of children¡¯s skin, and much more crimes that one cannot bear to hear. It¡¯s my fault, but to say the least, the village is grateful for her death. It is a sacrifice to the gods.¡±


    ¡°You jerk!¡±


    ¡°I am not a jerk. I am merely an honest person. Do you believe me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. Why should I believe you if you had hurt the one that took care of you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still hung up about that? Fine with me.¡± Azukunika shrugged. ¡°All that matters is that I have done the job, which adds more to my resume of wrongdoings.¡±


    A crimson hue flowered upon Neha¡¯s face. She chucked her tote bag to the doorsteps and pointed at Azukunika.


    ¡°Go back to prison. I hope that the dove will forgive you with all its heart.¡±


    Neha could not tell whether prison was the right place for such a lady like her. For even if she was behind bars, it wouldn¡¯t mean much if she did not confess to her wrongdoings about not just the crimes in the past, but about the infliction she granted towards her own parent. A closer look at Azukunika, and it seemed that she was not the type of person to give up her hubris. Neha felt uncertain in regards to how much this could go on. She wanted deep in her heart, a just resolution for the lady, but she was powerless to even make a mark.


    Azukunika laughed, making Neha squirm. The lady swelled her chest and coughed continuously. A sardonic grin appeared from her, she redirected her attention to Sachen¡¯s house.

 Chapter 17: Nehas Dread

    ¡°Finally, the day has come. No more do I have to see their faces, no more do I have to thirst for vengeance. Usheniko, you are so naive. Now your bloodline, excluding me, is completely wiped away from the face of the earth! Goodness, I feel so liberated that I don¡¯t want to go back to my old, lonely jail cell! Oh, I have vanquished the corrupted ones! Can you hear me from heaven? I have done the deed for you, and now you can rest in the gods¡¯ place. I know, I know, that you haven¡¯t gotten the chance to witness the results; but I will continue to uphold your honor, for what they did to you was abhorrent. I shall never forgive them, even if I am to die right now.¡±


    Azukunika¡¯s pupils became knives. She staggered to Neha and billowed her breaths in front of the kid¡¯s face.


    ¡°Look at me, young one. What do I look like to you? A murderer? A spy? Something more evil than those things? I could be one of those things. Well if so, then I am glad that you think that way; the sins of the mother and father are passed down from one generation to the next. However, not everything is what it seems, little one. As a warning, you should stay cautious of everything around you; I am not the person you want to be talking with, for I will give you agony. It¡¯s better if you forget everything. But, the most important is to pay attention to yourself; I heard that the Leader has taken an interest about you.¡±


    ¡°W-what does he want with me?¡±


    Azukunika widened her grin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t answer that. It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°No! I have the right to know!¡±


    ¡°Soon enough girl, soon. Well then, bye bye.¡± Azukunika departed. She left Neha in jitters. She never knew from the lady talking to herself in a sharp tone, that she held resentment towards Usheniko and her family seemingly from the very beginning of time. There was nothing Neha could do about that, thus she shrugged and whimpered. More than ever did she want to lock herself inside her house.


    Still in a slump, Neha picked up her bag and latched onto the doorknob. In a single twist, she opened the door. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± she said, entering inside. ¡°My mom always locks the door. I wonder if she has forgotten already.¡±


    One foot in the house, and the peppermint scent ransacked the air; the smell was originating from the kitchen. What was this? Never had she encountered this before. It was burning rather than soothing, like she was inhaling ashes. She covered her nose and mouth with the collar of her uniform, and she stiffened her shoulders.


    If there could be one explanation, then it must be that there was food. Normally, her mother would cook something at this time. But in this instance it was rather unusual. Thus, walking to the kitchen, Neha saw on the stove, a pot that contained fried rice. She opened the lid and found that the food was burnt to the core. All rice grains were black, nothing looked pure. Bits of vegetables and meat, they were already chunks of charcoal. A smell from here could only be compared to a piece of dirt that was boiling under the sun. It almost caused her to hurl.


    ¡°Yuck.¡± Neha opened the trash can containing a black bag. She grabbed the pot and poured the inedible product in there. As the stench of it was about to overpower the peppermint, she closed the trash lid in a thud.


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t the fried rice that created this weird smell.¡± She scratched her arms, worrying even more. How could her parent leave something like this? All too baffling. What was more weird, was that there was not a single call from her mother telling her daughter to eat. That confirmed the silence of this place; no shouts, no sparks of rage from her parent, it was anxiety-inducing. Neha headed to the couch, she then saw that the cushions were out of place. Dust bunnies and strands of black hair covered the armrests, the springs under the couch squeaked. A few days ago, Neha¡¯s mother tasked her to clean up the furniture, to which she did with the utmost effort. But for herself to find the couch in this sort of condition, she assumed that her mother must have been doing something reckless.


    Removing the collar from her face, Neha grabbed the medicine sack and hurried herself to her parent¡¯s bedroom. She knocked a few times, but there was no response from the other side. Sleeping perhaps? At this time of the day, mostly like not. Neha twisting the knob, the door moved without creaking.


    ¡°Mother, why must you be forgetful?¡± Neha entered the bedroom. The floor groaned on its own, a sound that was low and dragging. On the left side of the room, there was a drawer, and there lied a flame on a candle that heated the area. The pillows on the bed were occupied with scratches and tears, all of them came from her mother¡¯s random acts of hysteria. Neha recoiled upon remembering one instance; Aijin hit her in a cloud of anger over her missing tunic, and it almost broke Neha¡¯s bone. A minute after that happened, she apologized for putting her hands at her kid, as though she either had forgotten about it or she had no desire to hold responsibility for her actions. But Neha didn¡¯t know whether to feel forgiving or fearful of her, and either if she resorted to feeling one of those sentiments, it might have made things worse. It left her with a loss on what to do. The two of them never mentioned it again.


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    From the candle that was unusually scorching even from the distance, Neha perspired from the heat. It bloated her lungs, itched her head, and stabbed her skin. How long had this flame been alive? Every morning, her mother would extinguish it. But to see it on the candle now, Neha felt the compulsion to scold her parent.


    She soon went forth to the bed and looked under the blanket. Her parent wasn¡¯t there. She turned herself to the closet and opened the doors, and digging through the hanging clothes, Neha only found darkness. It was likely that she¡¯d hide there as a way to counter her hysteria. But not this time. Neha moved back to the bed. To the right side of it, something was twitching. Something, or someone, was moaning. The girl eyed on the floor¡ªfor a moment she stopped breathing. There she was, with eyes closed and a pallor face, her mother was lying unconscious. Neha jumped and screamed.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Neha rushed to her side and held her. Aijin¡¯s head bobbed back, her eyelids were transparent enough to see the dullness in her pupils. No signs of blood anywhere on her person, Neha lifted her body to the bed. She almost sprained herself due to her parent¡¯s weight. Aijin plopped onto the pillows, Neha then dashed to the kitchen and fauceted water to a flask. She spilled some here and there, but it mattered little. Her hands beginning to tremble, she retrieved a cloth near a set of crates from the corner and returned to the bedroom. Her mother groaned and rolled her eyes, her lips were shaped like a cleft. How did this happen?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom, I am here!¡± Neha shouted. Aijin¡¯s throat parched, and Neha put the flask to her mouth and let her take sips. Aijin coughed blood and water. As soon as Neha wiped the sweat from her face with the cloth, her mother¡¯s body convulsed. She flung her arms and legs into the air, and gurgled her saliva, as if something demonic had possessed her all day. When Neha touched her parent¡¯s cheeks, the latter released a blood-curdling bellow. Neha sniffled, she thought that her mother¡¯s outburst might last forever; now it was that this phase came as severe as she expected. She braced herself in case that Aijin would do something violent.


    It was soon that her mother dropped her limbs to the bed. She rustled through her blanket. Her lips glowed, her eyes drew themselves to the candle. A huge sigh coming from her, Aijin tossed to the left side and did not take notice of Neha. She mumbled gibberish in spite of straining her voice.


    To see her like this was typical of the daughter, but there was something terrifying about this moment. This fit of madness came off as too peculiar; her mother would usually hit Neha or destroy an object before her, and she would sentence herself with utterances of curses. Good grief that those things did not happen, but the girl could not help but wonder. What did Aijin do to lead herself to this? The daughter had no time to wonder however. Just seeing her mother caged in her continuous gibberish was stressing the kid out. Thus in desperation, Neha hopped on the bed. She slithered herself to her mother and hugged her. She pulled her head towards her mother¡¯s chest and patted her head, shushing her like a parent would do to a child whenever he or she cried. Aijin went quiet, her mouth stopped moving. She relaxed her body.


    In the midst of this, Neha ceased to tremble. She was glad that she was able to end this soon as possible. However, this might happen the next day, or the next hour for the matter. Keeping this up would do nothing but harm the both of them. That led Neha to wish once and for all that Aijin would stop her self-exiled torment; if the wish was to never come true, then how much could she withstand this any longer? The girl was here with Aijin since forever, and it was natural to experience times like this. But there could be indeed, a point, possibly when she would grow up, where Neha had to call it quits. Neha was her own person, she knew that eventually, she would have to move forward in life and leave this for someone else more diligent than her. Nonetheless, being her daughter, it was Neha¡¯s job to be by her side no matter what might happen later on. She loved her parent as much as her friend and her father, and it was out of this accepting love that led her to this embrace. Simple, but an invigorating feeling. Realizing this, Neha tightened her arms and locked her hands to further her love for her mother. Her heartbeat came in ripples.


    A couple of minutes passed. The dark-brown color in Aijin¡¯s eyes glistened. Seeing her daughter below her, she sniveled.

 Chapter 18: Neha and Her Nurturing Love

    Aijin rustled her hair. ¡°My God! Am I in heaven? This is the worst day ever!¡±


    ¡°Mommy, you are in your bedroom,¡± said Neha. ¡°But before, you were lying on the floor! Can you tell me what had happened? I¡¯m so worried, that I am willing to call the doctor!¡±


    ¡°On the floor? The only time I¡¯d be on the floor is when I would clean and scrub the whole place up. By the way, why do I feel so dizzy and light? And why have I just awakened? This is certainly a strange occurrence. I was dead asleep on my bed before then; and screw the doctor, I ain¡¯t shelling out some gold.¡±


    ¡°It might be that you fell to the floor while you were sleeping.¡± Neha rubbed her mother¡¯s hands, which the latter squeezed the delicate palms of the girl.


    ¡°Nonsense! Ah... I think I remember now¡ªjust vaguely. Before I came to, I was talking to somebody who was visiting me. She was a very fine young lady, with a pearly face and eyes that I can¡¯t even imagine that it could resemble anybody else. The only thing that irked me was that she was wearing poor-quality robes, and that ruined her beauty! Anyways, we were talking about my condition, and she claimed that she had known of my plight through Tulisen. That rascal of an officer, always revealing things right behind my back! But it doesn¡¯t matter now; the lady said that she had a cure for me, and she had somebody working very hard to get the ingredient. At first, I was skeptical, since such a thing only exist in the heavens; but she proved it by giving me a bag containing some weird plant. Later on, she shifted the subject to talk about you Neha.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Me? What did I do?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s just that the lady admired you for your kindness and consideration of the people around you. She had taken quite a fancy of you. From her, the High Order, especially the Leader, really liked you for some reason, and I must say, it feels so great for you to get recognized! She said that time is close for the High Order to have something for you, as a gift of gratitude, for being a good citizen.¡±


    ¡°Good citizen? Why I can¡¯t accept it, mother. I am just a kid. I don¡¯t understand why they picked me. There are a lot of good kids here too.¡±


    Aijin shifted her eyes to the closet. ¡°Then my conversation with the lady ended there. She departed, right before you show up, and she left a good impression on me. I don¡¯t remember anything afterwards, except for the fact that I slept, and that I consumed the plant that contained the cure. But I hope that the lady can meet you in the future.¡± Aijin smacked her lips, she winced from the residue of the plant¡¯s flavor in her tongue. Her stomach growled. ¡°Say Neha, when you arrived, have you eaten my fried rice? I cooked it this morning! I bet it¡¯s delicious right? Please compliment me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to compliment about it. The food was in fact, burnt, and I disposed of it in the trash.¡±


    Aijin jerked her head to the side. She frowned. ¡°What? Why did you throw it away? I made that for you, with blood and tears. Then I shall eat it for myself! But Neha, we could have eaten it together.¡± Sighing, the parent filled her face with dark clouds. ¡°I knew it, I am a terrible person. I can¡¯t cook without letting you down. I¡¯m so sorry sweetie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we can eat later.¡± Neha shook her head and turned her face away for a moment. Aijin clawed her cheeks, continuing to lament about her food. Her heart throbbed so loud that it tore apart her chest, and it made Neha worry more and more.


    Aijin sprang up the bed before she plopped back down. ¡°Neha! I just remember something also!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really important, but I feel like I should tell you.¡± Aijin clasped onto Neha¡¯s hands, and her fingers bred goosebumps. ¡°Would you mind listening? About the dream... the nightmare that I had before waking up?¡±


    ¡°Nightmare? I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s too scary for me to handle. But I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± As she was going to recount her dream, Aijin coughed. Droplets of saliva and blood stained the blanket. Neha opened the medicine sack and gave her mother a pill, the parent swallowed it without drinking water. ¡°Thank you sweetie. I might have died if you didn¡¯t run the errand of getting the medicine. You got it from the pharmacist right? Not the witch¡¯s place, I presume. She is long gone.¡±


    Neha sulked. ¡°Yes. Usheniko is not here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Do you miss her? You should forget her all together though, or else you¡¯ll be stressed out.¡±


    ¡°I do miss her very much.¡± Neha groaned, begging to herself to not remember anymore; but the memories continued to remain.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Aijin asked, stroking her daughter¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You look more sick than me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyways! How about that nightmare you had?¡±


    ¡°Oh I almost forgot!¡± Casting her gaze to the blanket, Aijin clutched herself. ¡°That nightmare, I couldn¡¯t believe that I was in the void of darkness. I was the only one present. I walked for a while, hearing only my footsteps, and as I did, I couldn¡¯t help but get angry for some reason, I am not sure. When I grew tired of walking, I cursed and insulted myself. Then there was this ball of light that manifested before my eyes; it came from a random lady that popped up from the surface. She disappeared as the light began to radiate and blind me. The next thing I knew it, I was witnessing something of an event. I thought that I came to a fairy tale, but it was all true, when I found out that my husband was there!¡±


    ¡°M-my daddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes! I couldn¡¯t deny it. My husband was standing in the desert, and I tried to talk to him, but he couldn¡¯t hear me. I yelled out even more, only for my voice to dissipate. Eventually, he reached out to my hands, and grabbed it with might. I almost died! It was then that he mentioned something about him doing something righteous, and next he said that he was going to get in trouble. I asked to him of what he had done that made it righteous. Allegedly, he had helped a poor, desolate person escape from the shackles of oppression, which I thought that was a noble, good-hearted thing to do. But he showed an ounce of regret upon saying that. It¡¯s like he didn¡¯t want to do it, but he had to since he felt terrible for the person.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t feel that way. It¡¯s because my dad is kind and brave. There¡¯s no way otherwise.¡±


    Aijin snapped her fingers and grumbled. ¡°Sadly enough, he said to me that he had to take a punishment as a result of his trouble with the runaway. The Holy Army assigned him to a military expedition in the desert, where he was right in the moment of the nightmare. When I opened my arms and tried to embrace him, wanting him to come back to us, his whole body melted! I was horrified! His eyeballs and face were gone first, and his whole body... my goodness... I just can¡¯t think about it any longer.¡±


    Shuddering, Neha hugged her once again, only for the pain to persist. She never considered once in her life that something bad had happened to her father. And even if Aijin¡¯s nightmare was real, Neha lacked the guts to stomach it all together, she might close her ears and eyes and forget about it.


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    Neha buried her face upon her parent¡¯s chest. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to mention it anymore. It¡¯s scaring me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am most terribly sorry! It¡¯s just that it felt so real. From there, I started to believe him. God knows what kind of punishment he is dealing with right now. And maybe, just maybe-¡± Aijin shivered and rubbed her eyes. ¡°-the nightmare could be the reason that I fell down! I am such an idiot for not realizing it until now. No wonder it ended in a thud.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. At least the dream was over. No, I shouldn¡¯t laugh. But I hope that my dad is okay. Apart from that, you¡¯d have been more injured if you got up from the floor on your own. Luckily I came in time didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Luck is in good hands. I was about to turn into an angel, flying to the afterlife. I mean, I was not ready to live with those pesky, talkative gods! Good grief, I¡¯d turn my back on them and say that I should go back to cleaning up my house!¡±


    Both of them laughed. Aijin squeezed her daughter within her bosom, and injected her with warmth. It soon comforted the girl; it had been so long since she had the chance to hold her own child. From this, Neha felt grateful for this to happen, and she grew a smile that caused her mother to tighten her embrace.


    ¡°Neha,¡± Aijin said to her in a soft tone, ¡°how often do I have to take the medicine?¡±


    ¡°One pill every twelve hours,¡± Neha replied. ¡°And you have to drink the water along with taking it also, so that you won¡¯t choke on it.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry my dear, I can get through it by breaking the pills in half. Hopefully, along with the plant provided by the lady, the medicine will finally erase my condition¡ªfor I have been suffering for too long. I don¡¯t want to live like this, I don¡¯t want to burden you. If you want to be a charity worker, then I will support you along the way. Although I want you to get marry and become a housewife, you working for your dreams is enough for me. At least you can make a difference in this world. You are a sweetheart, you know? I believe in you, and whatever you want to do, or what you have to do, I will be there by your side. Your father will be there for you too. Moreover, if I am to be cured right now, then I should take the time to spend my days with you, the days you want for to happen.¡± The mother sneezed. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Say Neha, if you want, you can go play with your friend nearby.¡±


    Neha glanced at the candle, and the flame conjured an afterimage of Sachen; she seemed to be waving at Neha in this instance. ¡°About my friend. Lately, we haven¡¯t talked to each other. I know this might seem strange, but I am feeling under the weather right now, so I don¡¯t have the energy to meet her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. It¡¯s the weekend, and you don¡¯t want to see your beloved friend?¡± Aijin massaged her daughter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are some days that don¡¯t feel right, so the both of you should cherish your own time alone for now. Well what do I know? I don¡¯t have many people to talk to, and even in this neighborhood, people think of me as a lunatic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are a lunatic. You are a beautiful person to me.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Her mother puckered her lips. ¡°Y-you really mean it? I am flattered. Your dad never once said that I am beautiful and graceful. He called me a neanderthal or a dragon all the time, it¡¯s so humiliating!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I know very well that my dad was only telling jokes about you.¡±


    ¡°But still! Never mind, what is there to worry about?¡± Out of the blue, Neha let out a yawn. She coated her lips with saliva and began to see blurs from her vision. The girl drooled. She lurched on the edge of the bed. ¡°My my, are you going to fall asleep here? Well it can¡¯t be helped. You can sleep in my bed, cozy and safe with me. If you want to get well-rested, then mind if I sing a lullaby?¡±


    ¡°A lullaby? That¡¯d be nice.¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s been long since I sang something for you, my darling. I got one that you might like. It¡¯s called, ¡®Orchestra of the Angels.¡¯ How about that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want to listen, mommy.¡± Neha¡¯s voice drifted. She left one eye open and looked at the candle, to which the flame had consumed half of the object.


    ¡°Be prepared! Now I shall start.¡± Butterflies forming in her stomach, Aijin¡¯s eyes twitched and her toes danced in place. Before she could commence, she flushed crimson when hearing that her daughter said ¡®mommy¡¯ to her. The mother came close to crying.


    Aijin hummed as she peered at the afternoon clouds. There came nothing but affection within her.


    Go to sleep my dear, for the angels will save you from your burdens,


    and the angels will help you go to the place you want, so that you will be happy.


    What use would it be, if happiness didn¡¯t exist?


    That is why the angels will provide you with everything they can,


    for the heavens will form a smile in liberation for your angst.


    Not to worry, not to cry, not to suffer,


    so just forget the things that are hurting you.


    Nobody knows what the future will bring,


    so try your best and live.


    The angels echo the orchestra of the divine when are you are one with them,


    and all sins will be conquered by the light, by the will of everybody.


    In the end, the sun and moon are smiling at you.


    She lulled this lullaby five times. Immediately after the end, Neha closed her eyes and fell into a slumber. The mother blanketed her kid¡¯s body up to her shoulders. Aijin bent down to the floor and picked up the wreath that Neha had almost forgotten, and placed the wreath on the cabinet. She then put a pillow under her head and kissed her good dreams. Once Neha turned away from the candle, the mother opened the door, and she left with the medicine sack.


    Moments later, a clang occurred on the other side. The front door seemed to slam by itself.

 Chapter 19: Neha and a Premonition

    She did not know how she led herself to this. For all that mattered right now, her heart was racing and her lungs were shriveling. Within the depth of Neha¡¯s mind, there seemed to be no destination for herself. It drove her to worry about whether she would get out of this or not.


    The air frosted her skin, and the winds swirled along the gaps between her arms and sides. Being in a blank, colorless world, all alone, Neha held onto herself. The cold winds bit her skin, deep enough to create goosebumps along her bones. What was this place she was in? It seemed so sudden that Neha wanted to run to the end of the world if she realized what was going on.


    Walking a couple of inches forward, the whiteness of the area melted. The surface crumbled into shards, strings of cracks and faults connected each other like a puzzle. Neha rushed in circles, she then hopped away from the cracks and tried to preserve her momentum. She couldn¡¯t have known that this would happen; in the wake of the world around her falling apart, she had no choice but to panic.


    After wearing herself out from her constant hopping, Neha stood firm on the surface. The shards throughout the world dissipated, the ground then transformed in a flash. Neha closed her eyes and gurgled her voice. She looked below her feet. Out of her expectations, she was above a mountain.


    ¡°What is this?!¡± Clouds surrounded the mountain from top to bottom, masking everything below the girl. A white cloth cloaked the elevation, and it glued onto Neha¡¯s feet. The cloth somewhat resembled a spider¡¯s web, with spirals and ripples defining the fabric. Neha shrieked. If she had the willpower, then she might jump, but she had no knowledge of what lingered beneath the clouds. Possibly, it could be her village or a dragon¡¯s lair; the latter consideration unnerved her.


    As seconds clocked in, her skin paled and became transparent. She could blend into the clouds at this point. A sharp pain cut her ear lobes, and she heard pops and crackles. The growling of the gales blew her body, and she tipped on her feet and leaned back, almost plunging herself from the peak. She muscled against such a force, though it left her in such a struggle. The gales subsided, and she glanced at the distant sky; there, birds and dragonflies flew alongside each other, and they took their flights to wherever they wished to go. The sight of them excited Neha. She closed her eyes and imagined that she was a part of their flocks, free and boundless from the confines of the mountain.


    When she returned to being, she saw something coming among the animals. That something, a person in fact, surged onward and split the clouds into shreds. Neha yelped, she blinked twenty times in one second. Right as it seemed that he/she was gone, the person showed up before the child.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s you!¡± Neha said, she examined the individual. In a black robe, the woman was flying with a broom as her vehicle, it was unbelievable to see that. Her hands latched onto the wood, and her pointed hat rustled against the gales. At once did she hold a recognizable face that Neha could not mistake her for anybody else.


    ¡°Neha! What are you doing here?¡±


    Neha giggled for a bit. ¡°I should be asking you that too, Usheniko. And I don¡¯t know why I am here, but I need to get out of the mountain fast!¡±


    ¡°Have you sought out for help?¡±


    ¡°No... but you can be the one to help me.¡±


    Usheniko sucked on her own lips, and she glowered at the clouds below the summit. ¡°I can help you, if only my broom can support two people. If you sit on my broom, then both of us would fall down. Not to worry my little sparrow, for I have a solution.¡± She grabbed a sack from one of her pockets. She opened it and ejected a bundle of sparkles onto Neha¡¯s head. ¡°There you go! Now you can fly!¡±


    ¡°F-fly?! But I don¡¯t know how to!¡±


    ¡°Not to worry! You just have to follow my path, and you won¡¯t get lost! So if you want to come with me, now it¡¯s the time to do it.¡± Usheniko waved her hand and stowed herself away from the mountain. ¡°Hurry up. I can¡¯t hold myself in one place for long, I have to keep on moving¡ªand so do you.¡±


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    Neha, rocking her body back and forth, couldn¡¯t shimmy her feet out of the cloth. With her hands, she ripped the fabric; but it cemented onto her. At a loss of what to do, she sighed. Usheniko was going further and further into the horizon.


    ¡°No! I cannot give up.¡±


    Albeit her limbs beginning to sore, Neha crouched and tried to pull her hands off the sticky fabric. The glue was so hot that she sweated; then it was that the perspiration instantly liberated her hands from the cloth. She thrust her body back, and in an instant did she plunge away. She fell deep in the clouds, the winds lashed her back and filled her body with imaginary splinters.


    Upon reaching the end of the clouds, and without her control, Neha floated. Sparkles glittered the bottom of her feet, her weight had evaporated. ¡°Whoa!¡± She twirled her body and exhaled a sigh of relief. As soon as she returned her sight to the horizon and realized that Usheniko was not there, Neha spurred herself. She opened her arms and locked her knees as if she had become a bird. All sudden to her, she accelerated and soared through the sky, and she could barely comprehend this as something real, or rather, something fantastic.


    Neha took a breath of fresh air, and it tickled her lungs. When the birds and dragonflies came near, she joined in. They chirped and buzzed around her, and it got her into a bit of laughter. After a brief period, the animals flew off. Then in a snap of a finger, the woman appeared.


    ¡°Usheniko! It¡¯s me! Where are we going by the way?¡±


    Usheniko snickered as she looked at the girl from behind. ¡°I am not going anywhere but the moon¡ªI will fade away from this world. As for you, my darling, you shall wait for the truth to come to you. The truth to all things, you will probably feel more depressed than shocked.¡±


    ¡°Truth? What are you referring to? I don¡¯t have a clue.¡±


    ¡°You must be patient, or else the truth will never occur. You are a strong girl Neha, and I can say the same to Sachen¡ªI believe in you guys. No matter what, don¡¯t let them get in your way.¡±


    Just as Neha was about to ask more questions about it, Usheniko strayed off from her side. The girl laced her fingers around the fibers of Usheniko¡¯s broom, wanting to come with her as soon as she could. But no more than a second later that Usheniko gave her farewell. She smiled and winked at Neha, and tears streamed through the child¡¯s cheeks. Stars then appeared out of thin air and engulfed Usheniko as a whole; she dissolved into nothingness. As it happened, an influx of pain jolted Neha, she gnashed her teeth against each other and shook her body. Then with a depletion of all her energy, Neha collapsed. She fell from the sky like a fallen angel.


    Opening her eyes and mouth, Neha wheezed. She touched her chest, feeling nothing but the heaviness of it. She was still in her mother¡¯s bedroom. Beads of her sweat soaked the pillow and blanket, her hands and legs ached. From the side, the flame on the candle had vanished.


    ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡± She gazed at the window. The moon shimmered, its light glinted the glass pane. The stars painting the darkness with its twinkles, they brightened the night sky. Midnight came forth.


    The aroma of the peppermint still lingered. Neha got out of bed and stretched her body. She looked at the wreath upon the drawer; she said to herself that she might return it to her friend if she had time. Suddenly, rings and clicks overwhelmed her eardrums, and she thought that a phantom was here with her. She paced and counted her steps, only for her to retreat back to bed. As the moonlight bathed her, she opened her ears; besides the short-lived tinnitus, she heard nothing else. Something became odd at this moment. What had transpired when she fell asleep?


    The dream she had and the lullaby from her parent were the only things came to mind. She initially thought of nothing else. But the airlessness and the silence that lasted longer than usual, it bothered the girl. Then it came to her that her mother was not present in the bedroom¡ªNeha grew goosebumps. She hopped off the bed.

 Chapter 20: The Distress of Neha

    ¡°Mommy? Where are you?¡± Neha opened the door and led herself to the main room. The couch was still in its tattered state, the bitter scent had yet to die, and the room seemed to be shifting back and forth. The front door hung wide open, allowing the cold air to swirl in. ¡°She must be running an errand. Why didn¡¯t she bother to close the door?¡± Going to the kitchen, Neha stumbled upon an open cabinet, and to which it surprised her, there was an assortment of kitchen knives. She stood back.


    ¡°Did she open this?¡± She looked everywhere in the kitchen. The pots and pans sat quietly on the stove. The faucet was running water on its own, and Neha shut it off with a turn of a switch. She considered that her parent might have been intending to cook something, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    As she walked back to the main part of the room, her little feet creaked the floors. If her mother walked in and heard the noise, then she would have complained about it. Neha then headed to the couch and scuffled her hands through the cushions. She tried to find traces of her mother, anything she could deem as acceptable; her footprints, the schizophrenic evidence of her physical outbursts, her hair strands, and so forth. If there were to be scratch marks or broken boards, then it might be that her mother had left not too long ago to possibly cool down her rage. Neha would notice it right away, but nothing of that sort existed at this hour.


    Soon it dawned on her that her mother had been out for a long time. Neha bolted to the front door, and for a moment the stars shone her feet, as though they were ready to whisk her away from all her problems. With a burst of energy from her nap, the child left the house. Along the way, instances of words like ¡®angels¡¯ and ¡®happiness¡¯ fleeted along her mind, her mother that recited such words soothed her heart. It spurred Neha that she had to retrieve her back before something bad could happen.


    Neha traveled to the center of the village. A sparse number of people roamed around, talking to themselves. She approached them and asked an endless amount of questions; nobody had an idea of where her mother was, and they claimed to have never noticed her during the day. It left Neha dejected, but she continued her pursuit. She went north, and shifted her eyes to every spot her mother could be hiding, from the corner full of stray cats to the dumpster by the restaurants. Now, the moonlight illuminated the streets and smoothened the cobblestones, and the darkness dissipated; glitters floated from the bottom of Neha¡¯s feet. When she reached the end of the northern district, she halted and saw from afar the western gate. A dead end it was.


    She turned around and sighted an empty space among the row of buildings. In tears, she whimpered. The abode that used to be there for a while, it had vanished from the village. Where Usheniko once lived, inside her tent full of wonders and mysterious things, and where Usheniko once provided a time of comfort and solace for the girls, the military had annihilated every trace of Usheniko¡¯s existence, so no one bothered to say anything about her, or even mentioned one sentence about her; but the girls continued to carry memories of her.


    Within the empty spot, there lied a dirt mound. Flowers wilted upon it and a twig stuck outwards. ¡°Sachen must have put them here,¡± Neha said. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance of doing the same thing. Maybe I will soon.¡± On the gap between her feet, a lavender flower glistened and swayed. Neha wished for this flower to survive, so that tomorrow she could pluck and bury it into the spot.


    Neha left the northern district and made her way to the south. She fancied that her mother might be getting herself in an altercation with the officials of the High Order. It was strange to think about, since Aijin would dwell in the house most of the time, but the possibility was great. Neha had within her mind, no doubts or denials that it was most likely true. She hurried forth, burning her calves and spending her breath.


    Neha¡¯s legs began to fall apart, and at this rate could she snap and descend to the ground. But she made it to the temple. There, the towers gleamed a light fainter than the stars. A wave of light brightened the interior of the building and blinded the windows.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Neha crept up to the front side. ¡°The temple shouldn¡¯t be open this late.¡± Neha grew hesitant. Stepping into the temple without notice was a guarantee of trouble. To disturb the officials would provide her a slap from the back of their hands, and for sure she didn¡¯t want that. Neha shivered, and her heart palpitated. She began to worry more about her safety more so than her mother¡¯s. Was it better to return home, leaving the events to their course? Neha constantly shook her head and dug her nails on her palms, and such a question made things so difficult for her that she considered running away.


    Just as she felt it, her feet shuffled. Neha, gaining control of herself, walked to the front doors and knocked. A bout of silence sailed to her ears. She swiveled the door knobs and entered inside. In amazement, the chandeliers on the ceiling shined the flowers and grooves on the balcony. The incandescence deepened the colors in the portraits, making the faces of the Leaders more lively. On the ceiling contained unfinished sketches of the gods, it was halfway done with a pale paint job and chipped layers. From its radiant glimmers, it wowed Neha and drowned her eyes, for she had never seen this sight during the night.


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    Neha then sifted through all the aisles and seats. Her mother might be hiding under the chairs, either crying to herself or sleeping. Neha also guessed that her parent must have went to the wrong place at night, as it could stem from her exhaustion.


    She ran her fingers through the carpets of the aisles and the armrests and the cushions of the seats. She found nothing. No hair, no blood, no body. Neha headed to the stage and combed over the entire place. The curtains, the steps, the chairs she picked her hands on, she went from one side of the stage to another. Her feet clamored the floor, and its sound bounced around the walls and resonated the air as if somebody was singing. Then going to the jade statue, she knocked on it a few times, quite a disturbance to the motionless monk. She held an expectation that her mother was residing there, which was a silly thing to consider, but she believed it anyway.


    Again did Neha fail to find her. She slapped her legs and hyperventilated. Where could she be? It was becoming more possible that her mother was not in the temple; she could be in the forest or the grasslands, those places that made Neha¡¯s skin crawl if she went there alone.


    Neha took a deep breath. Once her chest fluttered, she heard something from the back door. What seemed to be a faint noise at first turned boisterous; from the other side, a commotion stormed the silence of the air. Neha sweated and rattled, she slumped her shoulders. She planted her ears against the door, and screams and curses invaded her eardrums. It came from a bunch of people, possibly a hundred of them. Neha leaned towards the statue, and she wanted to get away from the cauldron of their voices. But her body could not budge an inch. Now it was to her that escaping from this circumstance was impossible; she had to know what was happening.


    With shaky hands, Neha opened the door, and the door moaned. Before her was a square room, small enough to walk to the opposite side in a few seconds. On the floor, the chairs and tables splintered in half, the sparkles on its polish blackened. On the far side, the curtains from the window plunged into tatters, revealing smudges of fingerprints and blood marks. To add to the mess, claw marks occupied the walls, and it seemed to be that a cat could have done damage; but large and deep those marks where, it held no place for such a creature.


    Neha diverted her glance to the left corner of the room. Only when she realized it, a dozen soldiers were attacking and seizing a woman. Blood and spit, they spewed everywhere without a moment of consideration. Neha fell to the floor.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Her voice fell upon deaf ears. From the corner, Aijin resisted against the might of the soldiers. She smashed her fists on their armor, bit one of the soldier¡¯s fingers, and spitted on their faces. Her eyes became bloodshot, and she scowled at a clergyman that hung about the window area. Without warning, she broke away. She charged onto the man, and the man opened his hands and shielded himself. Before everybody¡¯s eyes, Aijin brandished a kitchen knife. In a flash, she buried the blade onward the man¡¯s left hand, and blood fountained from his palm. With a scream that shattered the window, the man rolled around the broken furniture.


    Three soldiers tackled the mother from behind. They grabbed her arms and kicked the back of her legs, then throwing her to the corner. But Aijin did not waver yet. She headbutted a soldier¡¯s jaw and drew the knife towards another soldier¡¯s throat. One of the soldiers snatched her weapon away, and the dozen of them lunged at the woman. They restrained her with handcuffs. From the side, a pair of men escorted the clergyman to the stage, and they wrapped a cloth around his wound.


    Watching this on the sidelines, Neha was at a loss for words. She wanted to cry, she wanted to force herself to pray that everything should turn out well for her family; but the reality of the situation did not grant her to such wishes. As it unfolded, the situation became so terrifying that perhaps, Neha didn¡¯t need to wake up from this nightmare¡ªshe was living in it. It was not only that, but the sudden nature of this instance made Neha think otherwise of what could have happened if she had not entered this room. Most likely, she might have lived in peace, and her mother would be out of sight and out of her mind. But for Neha to think that, she knew it was only an unattainable dream.

 Chapter 21: The Madness Before Neha

    The soldiers lifted Aijin, and the woman thrashed herself. The moment she saw her daughter, she gasped. ¡°Sweetie, why are you here?!¡±


    Neha stomped her right foot. ¡°Mom! I was worried! What are you doing in the temple?!¡±


    ¡°What am I doing... exactly what?¡± Aijin growled and clenched her teeth. ¡°They lied to me! Serial liars, they are ruining our lives! They killed my husband, Yesun, and no wonder he is gone since then! They are responsible for his demise, and I must slaughter every single one of them! Die die die!¡±


    From the door, the clergyman frowned. ¡°How dare you say that? There is no concrete evidence that your husband has been murdered!¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up! You arrested my husband for a crime, and sentenced him to execution in the desert, where by now, his body is buried under the dunes! Why do you have to kill such a man?!¡±


    ¡°I do not have any knowledge of that, nor was I involved in that case. But it is clear that you are insane.¡±


    ¡°Insane?¡± The mother chuckled, and she clicked her tongue. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be like this if my husband had came back. Just look at my poor daughter right here, alone and fragile, for I have provided her nothing but suffering! And what is the reason for you being here Neha? Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep in my bedroom? Naughty girl, go away! I command you!¡±


    Her words made Neha quiver. ¡°I was afraid that you got hurt, since you were out for a long while. But for you to try to hurt this person, I cannot accept it. However, please come home with me mommy! I don¡¯t want you to do this anymore! You can tell me more about dad!¡±


    ¡°I cannot come home, for I feel immense shame. I am sorry.¡± As she finished her words, a soldier slapped her. Her cheek bones cracked. Aijin welled up in tears, and she wailed.


    The soldiers shoved the woman to the stage area. Bringing her next to the jade statue, they interrogated her a lot of questions that she might or might not understand, each with a progression of difficulty that the woman could barely answer. Aijin hissed and snarled. Her glare stabbed their faces, and it put the soldiers in astonishment. They then decided to transport her to prison in a matter of hours, so that she would be gone for good.


    The clergyman came forth to Neha. He smirked.


    ¡°Such an unfortunate one you are. You must have been suffering under the wrath and madness of your own mother. And still, you are here for her in spite of that. Is it that you are blinded by parental love? Or it must be that you are desperate to come here and make a fool of yourself? Hurry up and get out of here now, little one.¡± A company of abbots and clergymen came to the man¡¯s aid, and they yelled as soon as they saw his blood darkening the cloth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it fellas, it¡¯s going away in no time. At least the ludicrous woman over there didn¡¯t stab my heart, haha!¡± His fellow men laughed, and then they strolled to the left side of the stage.


    Butterflies flew in Neha¡¯s stomach. She dashed to her mother¡¯s side and wrapped her arms around her. With her strength, she started to pull her away.


    ¡°Neha, what in God¡¯s name are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you from them! Let¡¯s go home together, please!¡±


    ¡°What did I say? I cannot do so. I have committed a crime, and I will pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I have to help you!¡±


    Neha could not get an inch of her mother¡¯s body towards her space. Aijin glued herself, and it frustrated the girl. Then in awareness of her efforts, the soldiers huddled to the opposite side of Aijin and snagged her arm. Neha grounded her feet, she hardened her hands and squeezed Aijin¡¯s wrists and veins. With the collective power of the men, they yanked the woman without a bit of sweat on their faces. In such a contest, a network of nerves was pinched on Neha¡¯s elbows; her arms convulsed. Without composure, she fell to the floor. The troops fished Aijin, and they giggled like schoolboys.


    As it happened in an instant, one grunt ambled to the girl and aimed his rifle. He scoffed upon the innocent eyes of the young one, and said that the child did not deserve to live any longer. Aijin bellowed.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t you even point that piece of junk at my daughter! Stop it!¡± She got up and knocked the grunt with her handcuffs. The group again was able to wrangle the woman, despite her being still livid. ¡°If you kill her, then I shall curse you in the afterlife! Neha my darling, please run off. It¡¯s not worth staying here!¡±


    ¡°But mom-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t love me do you? So love me at this time, and listen to me for once. Go away. You don¡¯t need to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°This is my problem okay?! You have done so much for me¡ªand I have to repay you back! Let us forget all of this, and I want to be by your side!¡± Neha blamed herself that she should have been attentive and warm towards her parent, the one who cared for her, the one that loved her child no matter how heavy her burdens were. She believed it was not too late for the both of them to reclaim each other. Yet, the situation right now became too much to handle. With all her heart could Neha only cry and lament.


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    Groaning from the woman¡¯s sudden attack, the grunt massaged his back. With his rifle, he jabbed the barrel to Neha¡¯s forehead. He laughed and slapped his knees; he fired insults about her parents, and the man said that her father would feel much humiliation if he were alive. Neha grimaced, she almost considered to break the person¡¯s weapon. The grunt held his finger close to the trigger, he grinned and hacked a ball of saliva. From the barrel of the rifle, chills funneled upon Neha¡¯s forehead. It left her defenseless, thus she shut her eyes and prayed for some miracle to get herself and her parent out of this as soon as possible.


    She then heard nothing. It seemed as though the commotion of the people was gone. The chills from the rifle disappeared, it could be that the gods and the angels had finally came to the child¡¯s aid. But in reality, that thought begged nothing but desperation.


    It couldn¡¯t be anymore surprising at this point in time, as the heavens had revolved the doors of fate. It just so happened that the quietness of the air fell apart. The grunt clammed and groaned, he bumped his firearm against his sides and withdrew it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Neha opened her eyes. In front of her, the soldier scowled towards somebody at the entrance. Everybody upon the stage went quiet. A couple of footsteps breached the aisles, and two people arrived.


    Yebuka and Tulisen was here. The latter narrowed his eyelids.


    ¡°Woe to the gods, what is going on here? One minute, I was trying to take a stroll with this candid man, and the next minute, I have received a call from a guard that there is trouble here! Why, can¡¯t I get any rest? And is there a reason that this little one is here, late at night?¡±


    The clergyman with the wound replied, ¡°My Lord, the girl burst into the temple and went to the meeting place without permission. She was trying to take away her mother, who had attempted to murder me.¡±


    Yebuka nodded. He chewed his lips and relaxed his gaze, and it made everybody uncertain of his next move. He sauntered past Neha and approached Aijin. He muttered something to her ears, something along the lines of repent and confessions. Aijin screeched, she almost bit his cheeks. The soldiers apologized for not controlling the woman enough with their strength, but the Leader pardoned them. Meanwhile, Tulisen came to Neha and stroked her head. The child blushed.


    ¡°Did your mom take the medicine?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Only one pill a day, I have to remind you. Since I cannot afford to give allowance to her, she might have to tolerate her condition. She also needs to preserve her medicine, so as to not abuse it so much.¡±


    ¡°I know...¡±


    ¡°You should go home,¡± Tulisen said. ¡°You know it¡¯s not good to stay up at night for too long. You don¡¯t want to get caught by the soldiers on the streets, although there are a sparse number of them this night.¡±


    Neha vaulted from him. ¡°I just can¡¯t leave her here! I have to take her home, no matter what. I have to.¡±


    ¡°But your mother tried to kill somebody. We cannot let her go that easily. We must give her punishment in accordance to the law.¡±


    ¡°No no no, it should not be like this. I want her back, right now.¡± The girl turned herself away and reddened her face even more. When Tulisen grabbed her hands, she squirmed to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not going without mommy! No way can I leave her like this! She is sick, and I must take care of her!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn-¡±


    ¡°If you lock her up, then I will run away from the village! I swear to myself that I will!¡±


    ¡°Neha.¡± Tulisen brought his hands over her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t say such ridiculous things. I know that you are frustrated, and since you must be tired, you need a good rest for the night. Don¡¯t worry about this anymore, I beg you.¡±


    To Neha, Tulisen could coat his words with gentleness all he wanted; it changed little of the fact that her parent was suffering through her troubles. The child fell into contemplation of what would have passed on from here if Aijin had not been ill for so long, if she was by her daughter¡¯s side. They would have been together for as long as possible, they would have showered each other with happiness. But those things came only as a dream. Amidst Tulisen cradling her, Neha could not relinquish her anguish.


    At this time, Yebuka gathered his posse. Right away did he verse his words. ¡°My fellow ones in the dominion of salvation, we have just witnessed a crime, a terrible one, that could have threatened the stability and prosperity of the temple. This woman, as far as I heard from one of my men, had almost killed a clergyman with a knife. Although he ended up with a deep wound on his hand, this does not change the madness of the woman before us. She is, according to my eyes, a person that is full of insanity, more so than a blind lion. So I heard that this woman did such a thing because of her husband, which I happen to not have much information right now. But your husband was a good man at heart, and there is no reason to why you tried to hurt my men.¡±


    Aijin glared at the Leader, she felt at once an outrage from hearing nonsense. She snarled.


    ¡°Because you murdered him.¡±

 Chapter 22: Nehas Gloom

    Yebuka scoffed. ¡°Murdered him? That would be a great upset to the gods. Possibly, I know that your husband was once part of a military expedition in the desert. Unfortunately to them, they had died from a plague inflicted by none other than the enemies of the west. Yes, the news were scarce. We haven¡¯t been able to get much out of it, and we declared the case closed.¡±


    ¡°Lies... lies... everything you are saying is full of lies.¡±


    ¡°As it will stand, I hereby warrant the arrest of this woman. For the High Order, all of you will decide her fate¡ªand do not hesitate, since this should end quick. Let us choose quickly, so that we can go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.¡± Aijin scratched her head against the statue, repeating the word again and again until she lost her breath. Her pupils dimmed in color, and she croaked.


    Along with the Leader, the abbots deliberated, their voices were muddy and unclear. Neha extended her arms and broke off from Tulisen¡¯s cradle. She headed to the officials, and bowed down. For the sake of politeness, she then kissed the feet of the Leader. Tears erupted from her, and she wailed for their attention. Yebuka turned his back towards her, looking at the girl with sympathetic eyes.


    ¡°What is it my fair lady?¡± Yebuka asked, he crouched to her. ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Please... don¡¯t kill my mommy, please...¡± Neha¡¯s voice broke, and as humiliating as her position was, she felt that this could be the only option left. To beg before the Leader himself, it seemed absurd for him to submit to her wishes, but at the very least, Neha could continue trying.


    Yebuka stopped the deliberation for a moment. He winced at the girl. From his wrinkled face, Neha stiffened herself in fright.


    ¡°Then you must do something. Are you going to put your head on the ground and expect something good to come out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°N-no...¡±


    ¡°Then speak, young one. Speak on your mother¡¯s behalf, of why she should not succumb to harsh punishment.¡±


    From seeing the sly smile on his face, Neha at first lacked confidence in managing how to convince the most powerful person in the village to have second thoughts about her mother¡¯s fate. A test she believed, she wanted the dove to come to her. But soon Neha remembered that the Leader complimented the young girl for having a lot of potential and grace in her soul, and she took this into heart with little doubts. Although his compliments might have seemed hasty, it stirred Neha into a surge. At this point, she had to do something.


    She stood up. Folding her hands, she gazed at her mother. She then shifted to the Leader, and her voice shuttled into a calm.


    ¡°My Lord. I am just a little child, but I feel grateful that you want to hear me out. Right now, I am kind of confused about the fate of my father. However, I hope that he can come back soon, even if he is dead. I want him and my mom together again¡­ I beg you with the utmost kindness of my heart. My mom is suffering from her condition. She has lost her job as a seamstress due to her getting crazy one day, which forced Tulisen to give her some allowance. But she tries to make the best out of her life. Sure, I had to deal with her mess everyday, and it is exhausting me. But in the end, I still love her as my mom, simply because she¡¯s the one who is taking care of me. Taking her away would make me sad... I have promised to watch over her from now on, with great caution and regards to her health. By the grace and beauty of the dove above us, I¡¯d rather see my mother get some relief than having to see her die.¡± Neha placed her hands upon her chest, and prayed to the dove of salvation in such calmness that she at once saw within her eyes, streaks of flames and feathers. They vanished just as she returned to her original composure. After her appeal, she expelled all her breath; if she had talked longer, then she would have collapsed.


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    Yebuka, he showed nothing but a smile. He then restarted the deliberation. Amidst the complains from his associates, they talked amongst themselves again. They grumbled and flicked their robes, and some of them glared at Aijin. Nothing from their faces could tell Neha what they had in mind exactly, but the looming frustration from them set something in stone.


    The Leader twiddled his fingers, and whipped his sleeves in the air.


    ¡°Again, we have reached a decision. This is the last one, I am certain of that. Well Neha, I am surprised by your appeal. In addition to you walking out of your house to look for your parent, you have shown great courage and perseverance. Such traits are rare in people your age. But now, it¡¯s the time to cut to the chase. Neha, your mother will serve two months working in the quarry. And then, she will serve three years in prison, as the High Order have dictated.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so she¡¯ll be working, then she¡¯ll be in prison. I don¡¯t-¡± Neha sweated, her thoughts scattered into countless bubbles.


    ¡°That may be the right choice,¡± said Tulisen. ¡°After all, Neha is the only child, so I can¡¯t help but feel a load of consolation.¡±


    Yebuka¡¯s lips curled. ¡°I agree too. So that¡¯s that. Soldiers from the back door, please escort this poor woman to the outpost near the north, and get her a cot. She will work starting next week.¡±


    The grunts complied to his orders. Aijin plummeted to the floor, she shuddered and her face sulked from a lack of energy. The soldiers took her away to the door that led to the domain. Yebuka gave his thanks to Tulisen for taking him out on a night stroll, and he left the stage. Before he could depart for good, Neha tugged his robes, and she sketched a grimace.


    ¡°What is it my fair lady?¡±


    Neha looked down, letting her hand go. ¡°Will I see my mother during the two months?¡±


    ¡°Of course you will, only one day a week. She will be very busy, mining and extracting the resources for the economy of our village. If she gets injured, then the insurance will provide her some coverage.¡±


    ¡°Oh... and also, do you know where Kuraizang is? Can you retrieve my father from the desert? I want to see him again.¡±


    Yebuka walked to the aisle, and at first did not respond. But soon with Neha tailing him, the Leader turned back. ¡°I don¡¯t know about your father for now. As for Kuraizang, he is ascending to liberation among the help of the gods. Right now, he is bearing the weight for our souls. Don¡¯t ask much of it.¡± He beckoned for Tulisen. ¡°Do me a favor, and take care of Neha from now on will you? It¡¯d be a disaster if she lives alone, so you¡¯ll be a guardian to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Yebuka then arrived at the front door. While he gazed at the stars, he grinned and let the darkness invade his face. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all according to plan. Thank you a lot, young woman who holds the rightful vengeance, for accomplishing the job. I knew that you can do it. Now that we have her out of the picture, it is time that I will take measures to make sure that she is secured for the mission.¡± The Leader whisked himself away, heading to wherever he needed to go.


    Tulisen went by Neha¡¯s side, and held her again by his arms. ¡°I will be living at your house, providing you with necessities. I will register myself as a guardian, okay? Please don¡¯t hurt yourself Neha.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Neha could barely comprehend the replacement of her mother with Tulisen. Let alone her shyness towards him, he seemed to be too mellow for her tastes. It came to be that she had to manage this, but deep inside, the pain kept hurting her; with both her parents gone, nothing could surpass her experience of having her world fracture itself. Once it broke, it could never recover. Something stung her chest, and never before did she feel such a sensation, and in all worries and anxiety, Neha¡¯s heart died a little. Whether she could live like this from now on, only the gods knew¡ªbut for now, she had to live under the same roof with Tulisen.

 Chapter 23: In Nehas Memory

    It was two weeks before the departure of Neha¡¯s father. The civil insurgency that happened in the village ended in the reactionaries¡¯ victory, and though many buildings were destroyed, the civilians were safe. Reconstruction came quick¡ªthanks to the effort of the Holy Army, the people were able to settle down and forget about the bloodshed. It was from the assurance of the new Leader, Yebuka, that the village transitioned into a period of peace. With Ozughen and his forces gone, nothing terrible had arisen so far during the beginning of Yebuka¡¯s reign. All was well.


    Under Yesun¡¯s suggestion, the family traveled to the grasslands with a large lunch box and a blanket. Once Aijin set the blanket over the grass, the three of them sat down and commenced their picnic. Today was the perfect occasion to get together; the spring breeze caressed the earth, and the sun was merciful enough to give a warm sunshine. The field laid open to a billion flowers, blossoming under the sky and letting its petals dance. Neha, with her belly growling, opened up the box and found much to her amazement, a bunch of sandwiches, a bowl of rice, and assorted candies. She never expected her mother to make so much food.


    ¡°Come on Neha, eat up,¡± Aijin said. ¡°I don¡¯t want us to come home with an empty stomach!¡±


    ¡°Okay mom.¡± Neha grabbed a sandwich, which had tomatoes, lettuce, and a slice of ham. She bit a little, and found the flavor to be immense. The girl shivered. ¡°W-wow, this is so good!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± At once, Aijin hugged her daughter tightly. ¡°Thank you, I have prepared this for about a week! My arms were aching, but it finally paid off! You can eat all of it Neha, if you want!¡±


    Neha and Aijin giggled, not having a care in the world. They continued to eat the sandwiches, while at the same time they were enjoying the scenery. To the side, Yesun, in silence, observed the petals from the flowers before him falling to the ground, supposedly contemplating about something. Seeing him like this wrenched the daughter¡¯s heart. Neha didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, for most of the time he had been quiet since he returned to the village from the conflict. From the day that he came back to their home, it seemed her father had experienced a terrible event. The only thing she knew was his heroic action¡ªaccording to Aijin, the father had rescued a captive from a cave and granted her freedom. It was something admirable, but as far as she heard it, the High Order was scrutinizing the deed in great details due to his prolonged absence from the war. She hoped things would turn out well for her father.


    Neha stopped eating, and she patted her father¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Daddy, are you going to eat? Mom won¡¯t like it if you don¡¯t join in.¡±


    Yesun turned around, his eyes were dainty. He gritted his teeth, almost biting his tongue.


    ¡°Neha, want to hear a joke?¡±


    ¡°Joke?¡±


    ¡°It will be a funny one, don¡¯t you worry.¡± There occurred a slight smile on his face, but it faded.


    Yesun gazed at the flowers again, his expression remained unchanged. Hearing what he said, Aijin approached her husband and crossed her arms. She puffed her cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to pull off the old cat and dog skit again!¡± Aijin shouted. ¡°Mind you, you were telling a lot of jokes in your sleep last night, and I thought to myself that you should be a stand-up comedian! If you can make yourself laugh, then you can make everybody laugh!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve never recalled such a night,¡± Yesun replied. ¡°It must have been somebody else.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Well? What are you waiting for, my dear? Humor us.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yesun stood up, his knees creaked. He brushed the pollen off his pants, and looking both at his wife and daughter, he prepared himself for what might be either the best or the worst one-liner. Neha clenched her fists, ready to contain her laughter.


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    ¡°Okay. Here I go... why don¡¯t skeletons ever go partying?¡±


    Neha shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, why?¡±


    ¡°...Because they have no body to go with. Nobody, no body, get it?¡±


    Silence brewed again. Yesun must have thought that his words fell through deaf ears. He winced, about to run off in embarrassment. But in an instant, Neha burst into giggles and fell to the blanket. Tears formed, and she could barely breathe. She rolled around the area, while her mother, who took long to comprehend it, looked irritated. She went up to her husband and lightly slapped his arms.


    ¡°Oh my god Yesun, that is the corniest joke ever. Don¡¯t ever mention it anymore, or else I¡¯ll have to get a skeleton for you!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Yesun asked, baffled. Aijin returned to sitting down, so did the husband. After two minutes of amusement, Neha controlled herself and raised her body, only for Yesun to pat her head.


    ¡°This is the third time you have laughed in my humor, Neha.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s too funny! I like the joke dad, I hope you can do more.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Daddy... you are the best.¡±


    ¡°Hey hey, your mom is also the best, don¡¯t forget that. Together, we are your number one.¡±


    ¡°Your dad is right,¡± Aijin remarked. ¡°Without him, I would be one-and-a-half! I am glad though, sweetie, that you were able to laugh again. You haven¡¯t done so in a long time, ever since the conclusion of the war. Oh, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just blabbering.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the daughter replied. ¡°It actually felt relieving.¡±


    Neha¡¯s eyes were gleaming. Just the look of her face got Yesun in an intense blush. A father who was like this was precious and admirable; to greet him every time he came home from work, to hear her parents singing lullabies, those were the occasions that came to the little girl as moments she could never forget. Holding them dear to her heart was something that kept her looking forward to the future, not just for herself, but for her parents also.


    As soon as Yesun¡¯s blush went away, his belly rumbled. Aijin stiffened her lips, and gave her husband the rice and the candies. The family lingered in this picnic the whole day, they talked about how Neha was doing at school, about the restoration of buildings down the northern district, and more topics. The wind died down, and the flowers retained their petals. Such a day like this felt like an hour, yet they had a great time together, thus nothing came to waste.


    At the end of the day, Neha fell asleep. Safe and sound she was, Yesun smiled. Aijin wrapped her in the blanket and cleaned up their spot. It was then the wife noticed her husband being silent again, she turned anxious to ask him a question¡ªand she was reluctant to learn why the High Order would investigate him. To the mother and daughter, he was a man of a strong heart and a will to help people, never was there a time where he would back down from his duty. His efforts in various charity projects during reconstruction showed it all that he was valiant, that he cared for the ones in pain. So of course, the government should have praised him and gave him awards. Even Neha thought the same way, for she looked up to her father as a good role model.


    But it was too confusing in trying to understand the intentions of the High Order. What did they consider Yesun¡¯s action in liberating the captive to be? What would happen to him? Answers failed to form from here. Only in a matter of time would the daughter discover his fate.


    As the sun made way for the moon, the family packed up and took themselves back to the village. On his arms, Yesun carried his daughter. He gazed at her, that peaceful expression from the girl made him blush again. But in this moment did he lower his head¡ªtears streamed down his cheeks.


    ¡°This day, I should remember this for as long as I live. More so, this day should have lasted forever.¡±

 Chapter 24: Neha Waking Up

    Sweat flooded her forehead. Neha woke up, and for a moment, she thought that she was still in the dream. The dream she had vanished into thin air¡ªall she could recall was someone¡¯s warmth wrapping around her. She blinked rapidly, and the floaters in her eyes dissolved. Feeling groggy, Neha squirmed on the couch; her mother would be the one to wake her kid up, but this time it was even a miracle that Neha could wake herself. She then glanced her surroundings. The table before her had stains of water, uncleaned since the beginning of the week. Torn fabric coasted across the carpet under the table, the state of it desecrated the simple design of a flower with four petals. Everywhere on the floor, crumbs of bread and dust bunnies dwelled and rolled around, it piled up on the crevices and corners. Neha gave nothing but endless sighs. From the kitchen area, a blistering scent of blueberries invaded her lungs¡ªit couldn¡¯t be the food that she always eat again. Getting off from the couch, Neha knocked her feet against her tote bag, and the bag spilled loads of papers and books. She trembled.


    ¡°Oh my, I must have forgotten to do my homework.¡± Neha scrambled and organized the clutter, and put it back in her bag. Due to the increasing difficulties and demands of Ms. Laozina and her class, Neha deemed it impossible to finish all her assignments by the end of the week. But she said to herself that she had to, or else she¡¯d get bad marks.


    She wiped off the drool from her mouth just as she smelled again the blueberry scent, but it came as if a phantom was rubbing her nostrils. When she heaved, it faded away. Then her stomach rumbled.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten since noon. I wonder what Tulisen made for today.¡± Brushing her hair straight, she tiptoed to the stove and laid eyes on the open pot. Inside, dices of potatoes and beef were submerging into the brown stew. Neha took a step back and rubbed her mouth and nose¡ªit occurred to her that this food did not emit that succulent aroma. Now that she smelled the air again, there was no trace of it. She wrapped her chest.


    ¡°W-wow, this is new.¡± From the cabinet, Neha grabbed a spoon and a porcelain bowl. Using a ladle that was next to the pot, she scooped the stew and put the ladle down when the portion came in halfway. She sat down on the rug, and gave her prayers. She then chowed down. The flavor packed more of a soothing, tingling punch than the typical blueberry soup. The stew streamed along the gaps of her teeth, and the potatoes and meat pacified her tongue; she sucked in her lips as to obtain the savory flavor. Constellations of stars covered her eyes; for the flavor thrilled her, she could rocket herself out of this house.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡± Neha ate the last of the food and slurped the stew. She put the bowl down, about to do her homework and get it over with. Then the front door slammed wide open. Neha shrieked, she bounced back to the couch. Somebody entered the house. Neha stared at him dead in the eyes, wanting to stay calm as much as possible. She held her breath.


    Walking with a hunchback and with his arms dangling, Tulisen shriveled. His skin grew pale, his hair was falling out, and much to the surprise, his stubble thickened his cheeks and chin. He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Neha, good afternoon,¡± Tulisen said in a grave, creaky voice. ¡°So you have finished the stew I have prepared for you. I made it with great effort in the early morning.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, it¡¯s really tasty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Tulisen wandered to the kitchen and took his own portions of the stew, he then yawned. Neha retreated back to the table, and she set her eyes on the spoon next to her bowl; she wondered to how Tulisen was progressively looking worse as time fleeted by. Tulisen had been like this since the day he designated himself as guardian. Since then, he¡¯d come in late in the evening without reminding Neha of his arrivals. Often, he presented himself in a ragged fashion, like he had transformed into a homeless man. From the looks of his worn, resigned expression, Neha could tell that at any moment, Tulisen would collapse from constant stress.


    The junior officer arrived at the table, and he sat across from her. The dark circles glinting more than his eyes, Neha cringed. He picked up the utensil and slowly ate the food; every now and then his jaws slacked, spilling the stew onto his prussian-blue uniform. His eyes wandered, while he managed, on purpose, to avoid the presence of Neha. When he finished, he laid down on the floor and let the bread crumbs itch his skin. He burped, no apologies came from him. To Neha, he might as well pack up his bags and sleep outside the house.


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    Tulisen got up quickly. Straining his back and his belly, he flicked himself. He scowled at the girl, and under his breath did he mutter something ill of himself. As this was becoming a habit of his, he scratched his neck until his nails were bent.


    ¡°Neha, do you think I am doing a good job? Sorry if I have been rather neglectful of things. I have to work overtime, you know? Because of the war and such, I have to procure and evaluate provisions on the frontiers.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? I didn¡¯t know. But to be honest, you need to do more in the house.¡±


    ¡°But I have cleaned the floor, organized the dishes, and tucked you to sleep. Is that not enough?¡±


    Neha pointed to the rack near the sink, where the plates, bowls, and glasses muddled in waste and rice grains. Fingerprints colonized the dishware. ¡°You promised that you will do it as soon as you wake up, or come home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it later¡ªright after I take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Tulisen!¡±


    ¡°Neha!¡± Brushing his hair, he wiped the residues of the stew from his lips. ¡°That¡¯s the first time you said my name.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not that important,¡± Neha said, she blushed. ¡°Anyways, I have to do my homework, okay?¡± Neha took hers and Tulisen¡¯s bowl and spoon, and set them to the sink. Walking back to the table, she stopped. Something sparkled from one of the officer¡¯s pockets. She ogled her eyes at it; once again, she encountered the gold chain with a circular-shaped object that remained in mystery. She wanted to touch and looked at it for herself¡ªcuriosity wouldn¡¯t kill the cat right?


    Neha crouched, and she ran her fingers along the chain. Hearing the clinks, the man opened his eyes. He lifted his body upwards, and gasped when he put his hand in the pocket containing the object. Neha scurried to the rug; she burrowed her face upon her knees.


    When Tulisen looked at the watch on his wrist, he pursed his lips. The paleness of his face disappeared. Steam and sweat poured out of his skin, it seemed that something was wrong.


    ¡°My goodness. I have to go to work Neha¡ªtoday, the boss wants me to do something important. Huh? What is the matter? Why are you hiding your face like a turtle? Do you want me to stay home?¡±


    Neha nodded, she brought her face up. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want you to. But, I¡¯d feel alone whenever you are gone for the rest of the day. My mommy would stay at home everyday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she is a homebody, and unlike her, I am nothing but a man destined to work, work, and work for the rest of his life. But my responsibilities have a purpose. Regardless-¡± Tulisen¡¯s gaze shifted to his legs. ¡°-I have to do what is required of me. I¡¯m sorry Neha, for making you lonely.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say sorry. But, being a soldier is not easy isn¡¯t it? I wonder if you get really hurt. Do you share the same responsibilities as your comrades? How much are you eating per day? Are the bad guys weak or strong? What do you think of the deserts and grasslands? Are those places harsh? How heavy is your armor and gun combined-¡±


    Tulisen grumbled, and he slapped his face. He turned to the front door, standing still. ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my bad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not wise to ask much, or else you¡¯ll worry about me more than your own mother.¡±


    ¡°My mom?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ she is now breaking her back and toiling herself for her punishment. God knows what will happen to her from this point on.¡±


    ¡°What will happen?¡± Neha asked with doe-like eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why must you ask anyway? I am sure she is all right.¡±


    ¡°D-Definitely.¡±


    Gazing at the orange sky and leaning against the door, Tulisen puffed his breath. Neha kept her mouth closed, she thought of her mother right away. All the sudden, a reminiscence of the event at the temple began to ache Neha; for Aijin to claim that her husband had died long ago, to find her attacking the clergyman with a knife, and to see her in handcuffs, Neha felt that it was too surreal to be true. As she recalled her words about her appeal, it downtrodden her to the point where she wanted to go back in time and keep her mother in the house for good. Regardless, there was little remedy to alleviate her woes. Tears swelled her eyes, and all she could see was the fading mirage of her mother¡¯s reflection. She squinted, she tried to forget the pain she went through.

 Chapter 25: A Revelation For Neha

    But in an instant, Neha shed tears.


    Tulisen went away from the front door and faced the couch. His scowl, his expression all together, had yet to fade.


    ¡°Are you crying? For goodness sake! You don¡¯t want to look like this at the end of the week, when you are going to visit your mother the second time!¡±


    Neha gurgled her saliva and pinched her cheeks.


    ¡°U-Usheniko, mommy, and daddy... I want them all back. Please dove of salvation, bring them to my side... I want Sachen back too, I cannot let her be sad anymore...¡± She wailed, snot came out of her nose. No matter how hard she tried to hold back her sorrows, the recall of such people that were dear to her heart throbbed her. She continued to beg for the dove to save them, but it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t come anytime soon.


    Neha cleaned her face with a napkin from her tote bag. From the blurring of her eyes, she couldn¡¯t see anything at first. Rubbing them with her palms, she came to make out the figure of Tulisen. She hushed her lips. Tulisen colored himself red, and his eyes sharpened and he frowned from ear to ear. He folded his arms and tapped his feet, glaring at the girl. Neha was lost on what to say further. She could right now, run to her parent¡¯s bedroom and hide under the blanket, for she felt that she could be safe there. But from Tulisen¡¯s face, she was certain that he might do something out of the blue.


    Still holding the gloom within his eyes, Tulisen shook his fists against his hips. He burst to the table. A stomp from both his feet rattled the dishware on the rack.


    ¡°Your father, your father, that¡¯s who you¡¯re still concerned about? Well what do you know, little one? Nothing at all. It¡¯s better if he does not come back.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Neha curled her body, and she knocked her head against the edge of the couch.


    Tulisen chuckled. From his pocket, he took the object out and threw it to the table. The thud jerked Neha away from the couch. Her heart still in clamors, Neha glanced at the object itself. Her jaw dropped.


    ¡°A locket?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! Now open the darn thing!¡± Tulisen sat down and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Neha¡¯s fingers twiddled. From first impression, the locket was in bad shape. Around it, there were grooves and bumps, each of them having a sharp edge. She wrapped her hands along the exterior, and the texture pricked her hands. At the right side of the object, blood coated and corroded the gold, and a small button was there. It gave off an iron smell¡ªNeha almost hurled. Not wanting to irritate the guardian, Neha pressed the button, and the locket unveiled itself. The content inside then captivated her attention.


    A picture of her father unfolded; among the yellowness of the small parchment, he held dashing eyes with silky hair that accommodated the spotless nature of his uniform. His lips parted, and his eyebrows and cheeks were relaxed. He seemed to be staring right into Neha¡¯s heart. The girl considered her father to be quite handsome, and looking at this sketch affirmed more of her compliment. But it soon resulted in more pain for Neha, and at once did she resume crying her eyes out.


    ¡°Daddy! Daddy is in this locket! Wah! Tulisen, how did you get this?¡±


    Just as she readied herself for his answer, Tulisen smashed his fist on the table. He opened his mouth and labored his breaths. Putting his head down, he uttered gibberish, he exhausted himself more and more.


    It was then he looked at his watch again.


    ¡°Goddammit, I am going to be late. But I knew it will come to this. She wants to know the truth huh?¡± He got up, gritted his teeth, and headed to the door. Nothing but the harshness of his words drove himself into more frustration, and for the first time, Neha witnessed Tulisen acting like this. Giving him the locket and forgetting about all this would have made things a little bit better for the two. But by this time, Neha got herself in a bind.


    Tulisen composed himself. He swished his hair and peeled dead skin from his lips. He stomped again. Extending his arms to take hold of the wind, he felt nothing but a liberation of his burden; but in turn, his eyes turned lifeless.


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    ¡°Your father, Yesun, is dead for a long time. He was charged with aiding a runaway. That runaway is nobody other than Usheniko Ganshipe. She escaped from her spiritual mission that the tyrant Ozughen had assigned her to. Upon her meeting with Yesun, she told everything about the forbidden cave. The things she was not supposed to expose, it came to his ears.¡±


    Neha left her mouth agape. Those words he uttered, she must have thought that he was speaking gibberish. Neha became pale, and her stomach contorted in knots, discomforting her.


    ¡°What...¡±


    Tulisen grumbled. ¡°With fake documents, Usheniko returned to the village with little suspicion, setting up her little shop and corrupting the citizens with her deeds. At the time, Yesun told me that he intended to deliver the secrets of the cave to the entire village in order to end the antiqued tradition of spiritual missions. As a close friend, I stayed quiet, not willing to stab him in the back. I didn¡¯t want to hurt his reputation, for it would have left a void in the ranks among officers. However, Yesun was caught by an informant; the Holy Army stripped his rank, discharged him from service, and put him on trial. Yebuka and the others sentenced him to execution, and that¡¯s where they sent him to the desert. At first, he was ordered to fight the barbarians with a few hundred men, for the sake of protecting the village.¡± Tulisen loosened his collar. He coughed from the dryness of the air. ¡°But in a few weeks, he was killed by his own men. His body was discarded... there, is that all you need Neha? Now you know, and now you must suffer with the fact.¡±


    His explanations passed through her ears with little consideration. Neha stared blankly at the walls. She assumed at once that Tulisen was perhaps making a joke in order to ease her discomfort. She had a compulsion to laugh and rub it off her shoulders as nothing more than the cruelty of his jokes and such. She could have acted that way, then the day would have passed without any trouble. But no sooner than later, the words of the officer crossed through Neha¡¯s head. Something overwhelmed her mind. Now she realized he was serious about it, that nothing from his mouth could be dismissed as lies.


    Once she thought about it again, Neha screamed.


    ¡°No, no, no! Why?! It can¡¯t be like this! You were his friend, so why didn¡¯t you help him?!¡± She rustled her hair, and her heart shattered. Much to the fragility of her mind could she barely comprehend the truth behind her father¡¯s demise. She always thought of him as somebody who would survive and toughen himself regardless of circumstances, somebody who had resilience. To her, it was impossible for him to get into trouble and face justice as a defendant. But the truth finally revealed itself before her¡ªwhat she had not known before, it would stick to her forever. She folded her ears and thrashed her body. She poured her tears on the couch, those tears that she wished her father and mother could see. A child like her had to face the facts, no matter how much he or she tried to renounce them.


    ¡°Tulisen, you¡¯re not lying, right?! I know you¡¯re not!¡±


    The guardian raised his eyebrows. ¡°No, it is the truth. The truth hurts doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe this, and I don¡¯t want to hear it anymore!¡± Neha whipped her hands in the air. ¡°Go away!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Going to the doorsteps, Tulisen slowly closed the door. As the gap between the door and the wall closed, he stuck his face inside. His gloom intensified, and he drooped his eyes. ¡°I am terribly sorry Neha, for hurting you with this information. But as a daughter, you need to know this somehow, and this day is possibly the worst to reveal such things. However, your father deserved his punishment¡ªhe would have created a lot of instability just with his efforts.¡±


    Tulisen left. The wails and laments of the little girl lasted for the whole day, and not once did she attempt to calm herself. Bearing the truth anguished her more than anything else, and all hopes and aspirations of Neha being with both her parents withered. The pain gnawed everything within her.

 Chapter 26: Moonlight Transition

    With a red flush and dreary eyes, a woman jumped out of the tavern¡¯s door and waltzed along the cobblestone street. Although she had drank so much alcohol, she was still aware of herself. She could see the faint glimmers of the moon and the translucent wings of the dragonflies.


    Saya, as she called herself rather than Azukunika, went to the village center and stopped. Around her, conversations from the villagers buzzed her ears, they must have been talking about something that happened at the temple. Their voices came off as slurs and warbles, so Saya couldn¡¯t understand them well¡ªand it irritated her so much that she was willing to tussle with one of them. Feeling the heat from her face, she approached a muscular man and grabbed his collar. With daggering eyes from her did the man shake himself, he was sweating.


    ¡°What you looking at fool? Can¡¯t you see that I am Azukunika... I mean, Saya?!¡± She hiccuped, and the man waved his face away. Being silent, he shoved the drunkard and walked off with a scowl. The lady then proceeded to do the same thing with the other villagers, and it was only from the bitter stench of her mouth that deter them into annoyance. They brought a barrage of insults, also telling her to dig her own grave, but Saya didn¡¯t stop. It seemed she was not willing to stay put until she settled herself down¡ªbut it was unlikely she could last long. Thus raising her fists, she offered a fight against one of them.


    ¡°Look at me! I am the best in the world! That¡¯s what he told me before he set off for his special mission! Hic! Hic! God, I can¡¯t take this.¡±


    The villagers, instead of involving themselves with someone like Saya, left the center. Within her vision, they looked as though they were flames vanishing into the air. Soon with her mind still muddled, she forgot what she had said, and she leaned to a building on her left side. She punched her bosom and scratched her neck to suppress her hiccups. She nodded her head, then her heart came to a lull. It was then she recalled the previous hour when she blew most of her reward money in the tavern; the staff there questioned her excessive spending of drinks, and they suggested her to go to the clinic before she¡¯d collapse in drunkenness. Saya threw the offer off the window, and held herself in the corner. Little patience they held, the staff members kicked her out. And here she was, alone and cold in the night, with a lump forming in her bosom. It ached her.


    Saya then took off to the northern district with her feet staggering. Upon arrival, she eyed on the restaurants that had closed shop.


    ¡°Yum! I wonder if I can eat there-¡± Pulling her pockets, she found only dust. A bummer for her. ¡°Dammit. I think I ran out of money. Well I have to go to the bank and withdraw more. Good thing the Leader gave me a total of twenty-thousand gold for doing the job! I could buy a house with that stack of money. But sadly, my account is shrinking,¡± Saya said, pulling her cheeks.


    She wandered to the intersection and turned left, then she arrived at the food stand area. There the crickets were chirping and the birds were sleeping, and Saya yawned as loud as she could. Under the moonlight she navigated her way to the end of the area¡ªand after what it felt like two hours, she encountered and empty space to her right. At once she cackled, for this place held something special in her memories.


    ¡°That¡¯s right... I have destroyed you all! Every single one of you lots, the evil Ganshipes you were! Hahahaha!¡± Her eyes burning, her lips curling, Saya slapped her hands upon the cobblestone and shrieked. She couldn¡¯t have felt any better in light of Usheniko and her family¡¯s fate. With them gone, Saya considered herself as the happiest woman on Earth. ¡°This is what you get! Your mansion had been torn down, the High Order confiscated all your possessions, and they booted you out of the village! Oh God, I feel like vomiting from this elation.¡±


    Saya plopped herself to the ground, she wiped her face and continued to laugh. Managing to fulfill her vengeance against the family, the Leader praised her for her hard work. It was within her efforts that she was able to do what she had to do¡ªa task more necessary for the sake of herself than anything else. One might ask why she dared to defy her family and her mother¡ªbut from such a question, one should reserve it later on. Saya thanked the heavens for helping her along the way, and though she had accomplished her mission, her time at the village was not over yet. The High Order had one more task for her, albeit her having to act more by the sidelines: it had to do with the spiritual mission. Her only role would be to stop and put any intruders into unconsciousness. For she found the whole scheme too easy, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and she wanted to knock on the Leader¡¯s door and begged him to act right away. But she would have to keep her patience at bay for now. There was no need to hurry anyway, for the plan itself was going smooth as anticipated.


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    Saya glanced at the sky. Stars and comets went along the darkness in a single line, it streaked all the way to the grasslands; and one by one, they dimmed. The moment all of them faded, Saya sobbed.


    ¡°I have done all of this for you, the one that raised me. I have avenged you, that¡¯s what you want, I know! Oh, if only you were alive, then I would have led you to destroying them alongside me, because you hated them so much, for their actions had almost killed us all! It¡¯s too bad that your grave is not in the cemetery, since the family cremated your body and threw them in the desert. How brutal they must be. But everything is now good. They are gone forever. I don¡¯t have to suffer and play games any longer, especially towards that poor excuse of the woman Usheniko.¡±


    Memories of that person she loved like a parent flashed in her mind. Before the revolution against Ozughen¡¯s regime, she lived with him for a brief period and worked as his housekeeper after a woman died long ago, who was rumored to be the man¡¯s mistress. That part remained a speculation in thin air, for Saya did not know the woman in the first place¡ªnor did she want to learn about her. Whenever the man went to work in the political sphere, Saya would follow and observe him until the very end of the day, she¡¯d get in a big deal of trouble just for doing that. Although he noticed Saya in all instances, he maintained his efforts towards his work, serious about the things he was dealing with. Saya would be jovial whenever he came home, and he often brought his friends over for matters pertaining to the regime and the current state of the village. Although she listened well of their conversations, she initially had no interest, and she instead waited for all his friends to depart. After that, she hung out with him; they played checkers, drew illustrations of the landscape, and strolled around the village in nights together like this. Such times, simple as one could perceive it, were fond memories that Saya held in the bottom of her heart. She didn¡¯t want those times to end. She wished to live through them for eternity.


    That was, until the days before the revolution. It was a period where everybody¡¯s lives were in turmoil, including his life. When she received news about his murder, Saya broke down and wailed for endless days and nights¡ªshe renounced the gods for being so merciless towards his fate. She couldn¡¯t believe he had died, and it was too unbearable that she considered suicide to reunite with him in heaven. But then it occurred from thereon that she vowed to swore vengeance from the humiliation and torture he had faced against the ¡®family.¡¯ To her, vengeance was the only way to let him rest in peace, away from the terrors so that his soul wouldn¡¯t suffer any further. Thus by joining forces against the 27th Leader, the woman did everything she could to fight and shed blood¡ªit was the only thing back then that kept her living. She was a workhorse, an outstanding comrade, and with her strength she cut down anybody in her way. The best thing that happened to her was when the revolutionaries invaded the temple, and she was the first one to barge into the building by the front door. She slaughtered a quarter of the garrison there, destroyed the trove of gold and jewelries that the regime had amassed, and with all her anger she slayed Ozughen himself. It was a victorious time. Upon recalling such a moment, a blush warmed her face¡ªand she smiled.


    ¡°Rest in peace.¡± Saya stood up, and she followed again the path of moonlight. ¡°Maybe someday when I die, I will make things up to you. But I ain¡¯t going to die now.¡±

 Chapter 27: Sachens In Motion

    Sachen and her family was having dinner, as typical of them, and one might expect that they¡¯d eat without any interruption. Perhaps it should have been that way, but in fact, Datai and Saraji stirred themselves into commotion. Sachen had finished her stir-fried noodles, to which the flavor stunned her mouth for a moment. From the table, sitting alongside Monkhuba, Sachen overheard her parent¡¯s conversations.


    ¡°Datai, you don¡¯t even know what you are talking about!¡± Saraji said as she was washing the dishes at the sink. ¡°Monkhuba¡¯s birthday is coming up next month, and you want to spend all of our hard-earned money on a vacation? Where shall we go anyway?¡±


    ¡°Why worry so much dear?¡± said Datai, he chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all on the house for our little boy, who will be turning four. Let¡¯s give him a chance to celebrate for the sake of having fun. Heck, I want to take him to the mountains, where we can sightsee the beauty of the landscape and even try the latest cable cars.¡±


    ¡°We can have fun at our own home. I will provide the best food and the best presents for Monkhuba, with my own hands. I am working overtime for the past three months, and I have to save money for the kids¡¯ futures!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself my dear. Like I said, if the kid wants to laugh and giggle, then let him. Besides, we¡¯re well-off already, and we have huge savings in our account. Let us also be happy that our little boy is going to be attending school when his birthday comes.¡±


    ¡°His birthday? Hmph, as if you care! The last time Sachen¡¯s birthday had occurred, you were out on the streets, drinking beer with your construction buddies! What makes you say that you will celebrate for Monkhuba at this time around?¡±


    His face burning scarlet, Datai smacked his hands on the table, and he let out a purr and shook his head. Sachen and Monkhuba laughed, the former almost broke her stomach. A humorous display from him. ¡°That was supposed to be a secret!¡± said Datai. ¡°How do you remember... no, how did you know that?!¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I know?¡± Saraji asked. ¡°I sent Sachen to spy on you!¡± Datai glared at his daughter, he sniffled so much that it seemed that he wanted to beg for forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I actually had to do that,¡± Sachen said. ¡°I was worried about why you didn¡¯t show up to my birthday party. Then when I left the house and went to the eastern district, I found you dead drunk on the street, and you were about to get ran over by a horse carriage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be none of your business. Besides, can¡¯t a man like me spend some time with one¡¯s companions?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. But are you going to say the same thing for my brother¡¯s upcoming birthday?¡±


    ¡°No no, my little angel.¡± Her father clasped his hands, he trembled. ¡°In fact, I have promised myself that I would take the whole family out on vacation! I told my friends that I would hold off the drinking party for next month, and they were okay with it!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am sure Sachen. Your dad would never lie!¡±


    ¡°You can say that.¡± Sachen wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Although truth be told, you said before that you were going to buy me pencils for my classes, but you fell asleep in your bed!¡± Sachen snickered as she brought her plate to her mother.


    ¡°Well, regarding that matter, haha.¡± Datai looked away. Sachen squinted, she could tell that her father had more to say about it. The father then pointed his finger towards the ceiling. ¡°I promise one-hundred percent! This time, I will buy you a lifetime supply of pencils, but that is not important right now! What¡¯s important is that Monkhuba will have a fantastic, magical time! Isn¡¯t that right my son?¡±


    The kid nodded, and he could not help but salivate. His lack of effort to complete his food struck Sachen in the nerves; this happened most of the time, and Sachen would yell at him. She was about to do so, but she remembered one time where her scolding took too far, and it did not end well. Monkhuba cried and bit his sister''s elbow, leaving a teeth mark that remained to this day. That frightened the girl, and for sure she didn''t want it to happen again. Grumbling and suppressing the urge to raise her voice, she grabbed a paper towel and wiped the stains on his cheeks.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Monkhuba. You should eat properly you know? If you keep getting messy, then you will never finish your food. Don¡¯t make me clean up your mess again.¡± Her brother cowered and pouted his lips, and Sachen patted his head. ¡°Geez, don¡¯t be hopeless. Your birthday is coming soon, so please Monkhuba, act proper for once.¡±


    Once Monkhuba cleaned up his plate, Sachen gave it to her mother. With the vigor of her scrubs and wipes, Saraji polished the dirty dishware in a matter of seconds. The soap and water drained down the sink, and the mother broke into perspiration. She went up to her husband and crunched his shoulders.


    ¡°Do you promised that you will give Monkhuba the best birthday ever?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes milady! I do!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t lie under your teeth, or else I might have to punish you.¡±


    ¡°Anything but that! I will, I will!¡±


    ¡°Great! Then when the time comes, I will go with you all, to the mountains and to the resorts.¡± After the husband and wife nodded to each other, the former told the kids to go to sleep. Sachen stretched her arms and yawned, she loosened her mouth. Then in hesitation she began to bite her nails, and she watched her mother with the narrowing of her eyes. The girl felt the compulsion to ask her something, and she would do this every night, usually confident with herself. At this moment however, she balked instead of springing into her energetic ways. It must have been to her that her mother realized that she was asking too much, too often - most likely it''d be a matter of time before the girl got in trouble. Her chest wrenched.


    Sachen jumped off her chair and went to the kitchen. Pulling her mother¡¯s tunics, Sachen whispered something in her ears.


    ¡°Mom... I want to go out alone again.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Her mother pulled her face back. ¡°Why must you go somewhere at night? These days, you are doing it every time I ask you to go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to me. I don¡¯t want to miss it out.¡±


    ¡°Well if you don¡¯t want to miss anything, then why won¡¯t you make plans prior to these times?¡±


    A thread sewed Sachen¡¯s lips, she swallowed the truth. She couldn¡¯t afford herself to say what her purpose was in her nightly excursions, as she could assume that either her mother or father would tail her. It felt to her that she was becoming more like her father in terms of going out, excluding the part of being a drunkard. She played around with her fingers, and looked away from her parent. Saraji huffed her breath.


    ¡°I just want to meet up with a friend, so that we can study together.¡±


    Saraji scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°You should have met up when you were at school!¡±


    ¡°I promise mother, that I will come back in an hour. Just let me please. Ah, later on, I will do the dishes for you, okay? How about that?¡±


    Saraji sighed, she did it so much that she could become exhausted on the spot. She turned to her daughter, crossed her arms, and snapped her fingers. ¡°Fine fine. Geez, this happens every time, and yet I have to say yes to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you trust me!¡± Sachen giggled, she beamed a crooked smile. The girl could have made more excuses to make things more believable for her parents, but one little lie was enough to subdue their curiosity. In spite of that, the truth of her intention piled up like a landfill in Sachen¡¯s mind. One accidental slip of tongue, and her mother would be in a terrible ire, and for a child like Sachen, it was something to avoid all together. The girl was able to hide it the whole time, even though it''d kept hurting her inside.


    Her parents and brother went to the bedroom and shut the door, and they fell asleep. All quiet, Sachen grabbed her sandals from the carpet, and wore her emerald necklace¡ªshe headed outside. The cold air in the night froze her lungs, she soon labored for breaths. The chirping of the crickets and the buzzing of the dragonflies amplified the streets, they jumped from one corner to another and winced from their shadows. No villagers were present - all of them too, were in a slumber. Sachen could take this time as a moment of delight since it was a good opportunity for her night out. In the wake of silence she might sing and dance to herself, careless and free. But now it was not the time, for she had something important to do.


    ¡°I have to find him... Kuraizang. Right away, I need to get him back home, no matter what the cost. I am not sure at this time, that Kuraizang is in the forest; but even if he is, the gates are heavily fortified with guards, so there¡¯s no chance that I can break through! I need to look around the village. It is possible that the High Order is stashing him somewhere in some cellar, some tavern or something, I am not sure. Goodness, I could have asked anybody, but doing so would make them wary... but, I still need to do this. Now, this is my 12th or 13th attempt, and I must not waste time.¡±

 Chapter 28: Sachen and Her Brief Investigation

    Thus Sachen roamed about the village. She went to the northern district first, where the food stands stood barren. The woodwork and the metal structure of the facilities creaked and moaned, cancelling out the sounds of the insects. The moonlight glimmered on the cobblestone, and it lit the way for Sachen to stroll to and fro. She rubbed her arms and inspected every spot and corner of the place. Black hair and starry eyes, Sachen could not mistaken Kuraizang for anybody else; if a ghost were to come out having the same characteristics as the vice-president, then Sachen would get herself in great fright.


    She slowed down. Around her, crickets jumped from their own shadows, and their beady eyes glanced at the girl. They hopped forward and made their way to the end of the food stands. Sachen was unable to find Kuraizang here, and without knowing what to do, she followed the bugs. They gathered around an empty space to the right of Sachen, and they danced and chirped before they departed in the darkness. What seemed to be a trick turned out otherwise. She turned to the space¡ªimmediately, her heart trembled. Her drive to find her classmate came into a temporary halt.


    ¡°This is still here. The mound I made for her.¡± Sachen bowed, her fingers dug the dirt. She gritted her teeth and mewled. In memoriam of Usheniko, Sachen exerted her efforts into making a simple, soil-made mass among the emptiness of the place. Every time she stumbled to this part of the village, she would shed tears, and lately, she had cried so much that she could make it a pastime. As long as she was standing here, she felt that she would never cease to fall into sadness over her friend¡¯s death. This time however, she restrained herself a bit, for she assumed that Usheniko had no wish to see her cry here at this lonely night.


    Sachen drew her eyes to the mound itself. Next to the stick to which she implanted a while back, a lavender flower bloomed in wake. Its scent sweetened her nostrils. Such a speck of beauty, with its color shining more so than the moonlight and its petals fluttering, it marveled the girl.


    ¡°Who had put it here?¡± Sachen caressed its petals, and it calmed her down for a bit. She smiled; after a long time, she thought about her best friend, the one that Sachen purposely swayed away from in light of her own problems. ¡°I bet it¡¯s her. She¡¯s a kind friend isn¡¯t she? Well, I have to keep searching for him. Don¡¯t worry Usheniko, I¡¯ll bring him back so that you can rest in peace. But how can you tell that he will be in trouble? It seems like-¡±


    Something then paralyzed her.


    The air became heavy. Her necklace clacked on its own, and Sachen got up and scanned her vicinity. Gazing down to her chest, a slender finger was flicking the jewelry. Sachen sweated, her voice stuttered. From the corners of her eyes, a figure that looked like an apparition manifested. Tattered clothes shrouded the entire body, and the hood masked the face. Sachen jolted to the side. The sight of the individual made her want to run away, but as much as she desired to do so, the influx of her apprehension weighed down on her legs. The more she gleamed at him or her, the more she felt like yelling for help. But being alone, there was no way of avoiding this.


    The person then removed the hood. Sharp eyes like sabers, lips that softened among the starlight, and unkempt hair, it was her the whole time. What was she doing here? Maybe she was taking a stroll, or that she wanted to harass random strangers. She glared at the girl, snarling as she walked up to the child.


    Sachen held her tunic, and she heeled her sandals against the cobblestone.


    ¡°What do you want? Are you here to hurt me, like what you did to your mom?¡±


    The figure laughed, she then smirked. ¡°Oh my, oh my Sachen, you don¡¯t have to be so rude. And can I ask what you are doing here?¡±


    Sachen hissed. ¡°Go away! I don¡¯t want to see you, Azukunika!¡±


    The lady¡¯s presence forged a dent on the girl¡¯s head. She balled her hands into fists and lunged one foot forward.


    ¡°Do you dare to fight? Go on ahead, I¡¯ll end you in no time, haha!¡± Azukunika wagged her finger, and she said something in a low voice. She faced the moon. ¡°I remember your face in the service. You were terribly ridden with rage when you found out that Usheniko was the criminal. Was it really that surprising? I felt that you were about to jump into the stage and attack me!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet, you. It is evil for you to blame your mom like that without evidence.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Azukunika moved her hips, she stretched her legs. ¡°Well at least it¡¯s over. Now I have the luxury to do anything I want, for I have done the duty that the Leader had assigned to me after the execution of that witch. I think of going back to prison tomorrow... I forgot, I have to do one more thing before my departure! Of course, I ain¡¯t going to tell you.¡± The corners of her lips sharpened. She giggled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to repeat the same thing over and over again, but you better be careful of yourself. That¡¯s what I told to Neha once.¡±


    ¡°What? You met Neha?¡±


    The lady nodded. ¡°I met her in the neighborhood. She was mad, though she did not threaten and hurt me at all, for she is a weak girl. But no matter if she¡¯s mad. Our plans for her are unchanged.¡±


    ¡°What plans? If it involves hurting Neha, you better back off. I won¡¯t let you lay a hand on her.¡±


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    ¡°Huh? A little girl ordering me to do such a thing? Silly. Regardless of how much you oppose it, she will be of great use for the High Order. Indeed, with her filling the other half, there¡¯s no doubt that the gods will be satisfied with our offerings. Goodness gracious, they really need a female candidate now, or else the village will be in trouble. But we are already in trouble¡ªthose damn barbarians are still attacking us! Not that it matters much to me anyways, oh well!¡± Azukunika walked away from the moonlight and shrouded herself in the umbrage. She raised her voice, which made Sachen jump to the empty space.


    ¡°Sachen my dear, you should abandon your fight and live like a good girl. What¡¯s the overall worth to fight a battle you¡¯ll never win? Zilch! Throw away your amateurish quest, and that way, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything anymore. Besides, as for Kuraizang, you don¡¯t even want to know where he is.¡±


    ¡°Why should I not know his location?¡± Sachen asked. ¡°He is in danger!¡±


    ¡°Danger? He is in good hands now. He¡¯ll be forever united with the heavens, and along with Neha, the two will save us all. Don¡¯t even bother looking for him¡ªor else you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Leaving with those words, Azukunika left the area. Sachen smacked her sandals at the gravels and rocks, she had at once a desire to jump at the lady and attack her, possibly she could kick her out of the village if she had the capability to. But Azukunika was too much for the girl. She turned her eyes to the mound and whimpered.


    ¡°That meanie, who does she think she is? Do you know why she is resentful? I bet you know the answer. But I shouldn¡¯t leave you with such a question. Just be happy in heaven, okay? I got to go now!¡± Sachen departed from the western district, resuming her search. The words of Azukunika carouseled around her head, and as she struggled to ignore them, an image of the woman herself flashed before her eyes. Her face, her demeanor, her way of talking, it all bedeviled Sachen; that there was something odd within Azukunika, Sachen couldn¡¯t propose a single explanation. It was like she was too different to be part of Usheniko¡¯s life, a complete contrast in every aspect.


    The girl then scoured at every area of the village. The neighborhoods, the open-air markets, the fence containing the sleeping livestock, the taverns, and other places, she also squirmed through the corners and gaps. She called Kuraizang¡¯s name as loud as ever, her lungs burst and she panted. Below her feet, shadows of objects moved, it led Sachen to think that Kuraizang was on the run. She sighed when she realized the notion to be false.


    Reaching the temple area, where all doors and windows were shut, Sachen stared at the left tower. A star brightened and stuck itself on the peak, she awed and gasped at the sight. She magnetized her gaze to the front doors. A group of guards were on patrol, they grunted every time they took their steps to the arches. According to rumors, there was an incident inside the temple that almost cost the life of one of the Leader¡¯s associates¡ªsupposedly, a person that Neha knew got involved. It resulted in the temple being close early in the evening, and also being close for two Sundays, which brought a lot of villagers into a rage. The first thing that Sachen had in mind was joy. Now at least for a while she didn¡¯t have to go to service.


    Sachen left the southern district. She targeted her goal to the east, the place that was not in her mind until now. From a lack of oxygen, her head and chest contracted. Sachen slowed down her pace, and dangled her arms and feet. Wheezing like an old woman, she slowly regained herself. She then arrived at the school, and soon being there, a march of footsteps convulsed the school grounds. Sachen hid behind the gates, she let herself hear the sound coming closer and closer. It wasn¡¯t until she saw a blinding light that she turned around.


    ¡°What the?¡± Sachen twisted her tongue. A soldier was holding a torch, and in armor and hood, he seemed to be alone. But upon scrutiny, there were ten more comrades besides him, all of them were circling the building. Their presence piqued the interest of the girl. She listened attentively, and started to catch every word that their mouths disseminated. Lucky for her, their voices were boisterous, so everything they said was clear and crisp.


    She stood there for a couple of minutes. Over the period, she heard something along the lines of ¡®military inspection¡¯, ¡®preparations¡¯, and ¡®afternoon raid¡¯. Such words were foreign to her ears, but nevertheless did Sachen retain it in her head. The soldiers continued their conversations, they gawked more towards each other¡¯s faces than their surroundings. They accompanied their talks with cackles, the torch lightened and distorted their faces into menacing shadows.


    They spoke topics pertaining to the use of force and the emphasis of their operation on the school. They also mentioned of a person that would lead the plan; they referred to a man who was chubby and had a bushy mustache. Sachen wrapped her hands around her chest, her face tightened itself. She could barely believe it with her own ears. It chilled her bones and hammered the sides of her head. She resisted against the urge to replay their conversations in her mind, for the fear that it would mesmerize her. All too real their talks were, Sachen ran off.


    ¡°I have to remember this. Better yet, I have to tell this to someone.¡±

 Chapter 29: What Sachen Will Do

    The school being empty after the dismissal of the students, Sachen stood by the stables. She hummed to herself and held her gaze to the ground. She had sent a paper message to the doorsteps of Neha¡¯s house, to which it stated that she needed Neha right away to discuss some important matter. The matter that Sachen had picked up last night, became all so terrifying for her to remember. As much as she wanted to forget about the conversations of the soldiers, it continued to cross her mind every second. Sachen couldn¡¯t deny that soon, danger would erupt the village into chaos once again.


    She took a gander inside the stables. The animals were rolling around their haystack, they slept and wailed. The horses had clouds in their eyes, they let out a faint neigh. Sachen wanted to comfort them; only a few of the animals in the stables had survived the onslaught of the first raid, and the unfortunate deaths of some afflicted almost everybody in school. It felt to them that they had lost great friends, as such creatures would always provide the kids solace and peace in times of uncertainty.


    Sachen stopped her tunes. She saw somebody in the hallway hallway. The person arriving at the back door, Sachen called out for her.


    ¡°Neha! Over here!¡± Her friend approached her slowly. Neha¡¯s eyes were in a daze, her cheeks sunk into her face.


    ¡°What is wrong? Did you fell asleep when you arrived home?¡±


    Shaking her head, Neha slipped her tongue. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°By the way. Why did you send me a message? Do you have something urgent in mind? Like homework or projects? You better tell me. Tulisen gave me a curfew.¡± Neha twiddled her fingers. She looked at Sachen¡¯s head, then her tunic, then her feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s very important, and I want you to hear it clearly.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°And you must cooperate with me in this matter. If you-¡±


    Sachen bit her lips. Before she could say anything more, Neha grabbed onto Sachen¡¯s hands. The latter sprang back, she gasped for breath. As soon as Neha eclipsed her eyes with gloom, Sachen calmed herself down.


    ¡°What is the matter? You are definitely not okay.¡±


    Neha looked to the side. Her friend could sense something dreadful had happened to her. ¡°I just want to tell you something first... something that might make you sad.¡±


    ¡°Well? What is it?¡± Sachen asked. Neha came close to her right ear, and she let out a puff. The hair on the back of Sachen¡¯s neck stood up, a crimson hue bloated her face. Her chest ached.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    In a whisper did Neha tell her right away about the issues she was dealing with. Sachen anticipated that her friend might have got involved in some petty confrontation with a classmate, and also it could be that Neha wanted to depend on Sachen after keeping herself in a distance from her friend for some time. Sachen would have burst into elation, feeling that she could help her again. She held her chest, and listened to everything her friend was saying.


    But alas, it was not the way that Sachen expected. The words coming out of Neha¡¯s mouth, with quivers of her voice occurring every time she stopped, all came to be so heartbreaking, so gut-wrenching, that Sachen didn¡¯t know what to say back. Neha¡¯s voice fluctuated, it then descended into a low tone. Her fists rattled and her lips went cold, and she scowled. This display of her friend made Sachen ever so sorry for her, and at first she didn¡¯t know what to do. To see her like this, that she was about to burst in tears, it gave Sachen a load of anxiety. It was only a matter of time before she would cry too, something that would be embarrassing for her at the very least.


    Sachen hugged her. A surprise move coming from a strong-willed girl. But no doubt this was a way to soothe the pain of her friend. She tightened her arms around Neha, she squeezed and suffocated her with all her condolences. Their hearts seemed to touch each other, and it caused them to feel butterflies in their chests. It was to Sachen that Neha had witnessed and experienced so many things that she herself could never imagine. It became already difficult to put herself in Neha¡¯s shoes, attempting to comprehend the madness of her circumstances, but nonetheless, Sachen knew she was suffering.


    When Neha told her that she had met Azukunika, Sachen sneered. The latter also briefly described her encounter with the woman, and both of them agreed that she was dangerous to be around. More than that, they dismissed Azukunika as a fool.


    Afterwards, Sachen loosened her arms and fanned her face. She took her time to digest the broken words of her companion. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Neha, that Usheniko was part of the spiritual mission by Ozughen. I didn¡¯t know this at all. No wonder she told us to go find Kuraizang. It must be that she knew everything bad about it.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, but Tulisen didn¡¯t go through it in depth.¡±


    Sachen blushed. ¡°And I¡¯m so sorry about your dad! He did the right thing for Usheniko, only for him to get killed... how horrible! How unfortunate! I can¡¯t believe it! Why did they do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know at all.¡± Neha buried her face on Sachen¡¯s chest, and infused herself with her companion¡¯s warmth. ¡°It hurt to know all of that. Tulisen is a meanie. He should have kept his mouth shut, he made me cry. But it¡¯s okay. Besides, you have your mom right? I bet she will understand your pain-¡±


    Neha stiffened her face. Her pupils rusted. A fleeting giggle from Neha, Sachen stroked her cheeks and could not help but worry even more. She wanted to cry for her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anymore if you¡¯re uncomfortable,¡± Sachen said. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Sachen...¡± Neha groveled her face on her own palms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now. More importantly, I should say sorry for pushing you away these days. I didn¡¯t want you to feel my burden, because I was so focused on Kuraizang¡¯s disappearance and Usheniko¡¯s death, that I couldn¡¯t say anything much. I thought it would be better if I dealt with those things myself¡ªclearly, it was hard.¡±


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    Neha nodded, she folded her hands and peered at her feet. The daze of her eyes had yet to go away. She seemed to be in more of low spirits than ever before, even when she spoke about the topic to Sachen. To further the topic might hurt the both of them, so it was better to keep it locked away for now. Having nothing more to add about the matter, Sachen apologized. She then switched the subject.


    ¡°Well, the reason that I called you here, is that during my attempt at finding Kuraizang throughout the village yesterday night, I overheard some soldiers talking at school. They didn¡¯t catch me¡ªbut I caught their words. Would you believe it, that the soldiers were going to plan something heinous? They also said that they would conduct a surprise to the school!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Sachen put her hands on her hips. ¡°They will plan to attack this place! It will happen in the afternoon, when the students will still be in class! I do not know what date they will commence, but I feel that it will come soon!¡±


    ¡°Attack the school? No way that can be true! What evidence do you have?¡±


    ¡°Um, I kind of have evidence. But it¡¯s not what you think. They said that the operation will be led by some fat officer with a mustache. That guy is located in the northern gates, currently patrolling and talking about his plans to his comrades. We can go there, and find more of the evidence, haha.¡±


    ¡°Sachen, I cannot believe you much if you are giving me too little details. Have you listened to all the things they were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I wasn¡¯t dozing off or anything, you know! Anyways, that is why I want you to come along with me to the gates, so that we may find out more about the man himself! Hopefully, we can get more of the details. We will arrive there by going through the cemetery.¡±


    Sachen pulled Neha away to the school gate. Neha kicked her heels on the ground and moaned.


    ¡°Eh? What are you doing?¡± asked Sachen.


    Neha lowered her gaze. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like going.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? Could it be that you are scared of the cemetery?¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that. Well, that place is a small concern to me. But, I don¡¯t know if we can get anything out of this. Even if we do learn about their plan, then what can we do from there? Tell everybody? That¡¯d be impossible, since nobody have enough understanding to believe us.¡±


    ¡°You have a point. I don¡¯t actually have something in mind regarding to that, but we can think of a proposal as we go, okay? Come on, let us embark on this quest!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Sachen, wait!¡±


    Unwilling to let Neha go, Sachen took herself and her friend out of the school. Sachen was willing to solve this problem right here and now, before it would be too late to fix anything. She could tell that at any point in time, the soldiers would commit their efforts to another act of terror. Being the one to act granted her more excitement than anxiety, and at least Sachen had the opportunity to get the bits and pieces immediately. Such was her disposition.


    The girls turned left from the school and journeyed the streets. Taverns and liquor stores from both sides polluted a foul, alcohol odor. People crowded the area and bumped to one another with a scowl. Redness fleshed their faces, their limbs jittered in an uncontrollable manner. In their drunkenness, they formed a circle; in the middle of the circle, two drunkards were at odds. The short one raised his fists and hacked saliva, while the tall one cracked his knuckles. Getting close to each other¡¯s noses, sparks flew in an exchange of eye contact, they were in for a nasty fight. The villagers screeched and clapped, none of them begged for the two to stop, for they wanted to see the spilling of blood as much as possible. The scene reminded Sachen well of her father.


    The pair zigzagged through the left side of the crowd and headed to the alleyway next to them. They cooled their faces with their hands, they managed to ward off the smell in the air. Right as they trudged deep into the narrow space, stray cats and dogs flocked the ground. The cats purred and licked their paws, and the dogs whimpered upon the sight of the duo. Their stomachs constantly groaning, the animals ate the rotten scraps of food, they took no account of the health hazards. As the girls passed by, they showed beady eyes, and some of them yelped. They seemed to want company in the midst of this condition. Sachen wanted to save them all¡ªbut the priority in her plan was too important to ignore. Thus for the best of her interest, Sachen walked forth. She kept her eyes straight, shaking off the strays that clung onto her legs.


    All came to bliss when the two girls headed towards the end of the corridor. Across from them, hills sloped and tilted above the ground. The flowers flourished, their petals sparkled and brightened the landscape. Before the hills was a flat tract of land. There, countless graves cultivated the earth with the chambers of the dead; most of the dead originated from the villagers who had died in the first raid. On the tombstones, birds pecked upon the inscriptions and names.


    ¡°It¡¯s the cemetery.¡± Neha wrapped herself around Sachen¡¯s arm, she shivered. ¡°Whoa, there¡¯s an open ditch in front of us.¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to fall,¡± Sachen said with a smirk, ¡°or else you¡¯ll turn into a skeleton!¡±


    ¡°No, anything but that!¡±


    ¡°Haha. Somebody must have been careless in forgetting to prepare a grave. Anyways, let us continue going.¡±


    They walked and kept their eyes away from the graves. Neha whimpered, she attached herself to her friend like a lost infant. Gradually along the cemetery, the girls picked up the pace and skipped their steps. Arriving at the hills, they frolicked through the flowers. The petals tickled their legs. Up close, the color of the leaves and the activity of the insects radiated the flowers with life; it was as if the heavens had taken their time to paint the landscape in painstaking details. Lavenders, roses, lilacs, tulips, and much more, such things flooded the girls with wonder. They considered to pluck them for Usheniko¡¯s mound.

 Chapter 30: The Truth Above Their Heads

    After they regained their breaths, the girls went forward through the hills. The land seemed to never end. How much could they journey here until they would reach their destination? Sachen was tired, so was Neha. Even if Sachen collapsed in exhaustion, she would sleep on the hills and wait until the next day to resume her mission. But she understood that idling about the landscape could create inertia within herself. Nonetheless, she had to finish this today, she had to find the truth¡ªit was an urge to which she could never stop embracing, for the truth might benefit or hurt her.  With Sachen helping Neha get a move on, the duo made their way to the end of the hills. When they reached the top, they slipped and tumbled down to the other side.


    Sachen rubbed her backside, it stung. ¡°Ouch, my butt. Neha, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Neha said, scratching her knees. ¡°Ah, look over there.¡±


    Picking themselves up, the girls gazed at the place before them. The northern gate was in sight. Foliage covered most of the area and obscured the soldiers, who were right now, guarding the gate. Far away from there, and a couple of inches in front of the pair, there was a shed. The shed had one door with a flat roof; the wooden structure rotted, it was about to fall into pieces. Holes and crickets infested the place, and judging from the looks of it, the girls shivered, feeling as though something was crawling on their bodies. Perhaps this was the wrong place, or worse, it might be an entrance to unpleasantries.


    ¡°Maybe we can more evidence in that weird building,¡± Sachen said. ¡°I am quite suspicious though. What could they be hiding?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume too much,¡± Neha replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s only their equipment and such.¡±


    ¡°I have to start making doubts. Otherwise, there would be no purpose in coming here. Right now, we should eavesdrop... ah, people are coming! Let¡¯s stay quiet!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sachen took Neha to one of the trees. The girls cowered, they drew their attention to an incoming pair of soldiers. A grunt with a slim figure bumped his helmet on a tree bark. The person next to him castigated his clumsiness, he seemed to be extremely intoxicated.


    ¡°Hey hey, don¡¯t tell me that you are drinking again!¡± said the fat companion. ¡°I might have to throw you over to the northern gates, if you want that! Keep your head straight, and continue your duty!¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m sorry sir,¡± the slim soldier responded, ¡°but I can¡¯t help it. The beer that we had from the tavern tasted good as heck, that I drank five pints of them.¡±


    ¡°You should drop dead by now.¡± The companion snickered, then he pushed the soldier with his sides. ¡°By the way, have you heard about my promotion to senior officer?¡±


    ¡°Promotion? You were actually promoted? What a joke.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start! But anyways, my superiors decided to upgrade my rank, because I did so well in my command of the company, that I couldn¡¯t contain my gratitude to them. I was leading a great force, and I gained their trust when we were training in the forest quite a while ago, near that strange cave. For some reason, the High Order wanted all the soldiers to hurry up their training, so that we could commence the operation. The Leader, when he issued that, went into a fiery tirade, like he was mad at someone.¡±


    ¡°It could be that he was irritated by our lack of strength. Heh, our men must have wetted their pants when the Leader got angry.¡±


    ¡°Surely they did, some of them perhaps,¡± the chubby soldier said, he coughed to himself. ¡°The High Order told us to keep our identities secret during the operation¡ªand they also said that we should be willing to die for the sake of the gods, which I took with fervor within my guts! I was ready for death, I was ready for anything! Then it was one rainy day, when the operation happened. I led my men out of the forest, and became successful in my part. Sadly, some of my soldiers died, but we kept on moving until the end! The officers then ordered us that we had to fall back with low numbers! With my display of heroism, my superior granted me a boost, and the next thing I knew it, I became a senior officer! That¡¯s why I can boss you around anytime I want!¡±


    The slim one froze. ¡°I wish I was there too. I have heard from the High Order that we will do another operation: this time with the school.¡±


    ¡°Interesting isn¡¯t it? I wonder what¡¯s it going to be.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear from them? They want us to strike in the afternoon somewhere around next week.¡±


    The fat soldier rubbed his chin. ¡°I remember now. Since I got promoted, the Leader entrusted me with holding the documents containing his approval. That¡¯s how much he and the others love me! I keep on flaunting them towards my lackeys, and since I¡¯ll be in charge of the operation, I must prepare for whatever compromise there will be. Geez, are you still drunk?!¡± He snatched his companion¡¯s ears. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you washed up!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you forgot to take the documents from the building!¡±


    ¡°As a senior, I order for you to go with me!¡±


    The slim soldier flailed his arms. ¡°Somebody help me!¡± His superior chucked the companion¡¯s body onto his shoulders, and he hoisted him back to the gate.


    The conversation from the soldiers couldn¡¯t get anymore nerve-wracking. Based on what they talked about, it might be that the fat soldier was a familiar person to the girls, that in recent times they had met him before. Perhaps it was during a military parade, or from the meeting in the temple. It then took long for them to realize the identity of the individual, and once they found out a vague bit about him, their hearts stopped for a few seconds. The girls twitched their eyes and shuddered their shoulders. Sachen bit her nails, and several times did she ask herself if the things she had heard were real.


    ¡°Are you thinking what I am thinking?¡± Sachen asked. ¡°The fat guy who was there, he can¡¯t be-¡±


    ¡°He must have been present in the school back then,¡± Neha said, clawing her knees. ¡°And he led his force and tried to kill us!¡±


    ¡°Eek! This guy is bad news! I don¡¯t know what to do about him, but he sounds determined to hurt us again. And also, they¡¯re really going to strike the school!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to lead us to the truth.¡±


    Sachen pounded her chest. ¡°We will finish our mission in no time, so that we can go home. Are you with me?¡±


    Suddenly Neha looked at her lap, hesitant. ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°Are you with me?¡± Sachen asked again, lunging her hands onto Neha¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Come on now!¡±


    Eventually her friend returned her gaze, and she nodded. ¡°Yes Sachen. I am with you.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then we shall resume!¡± Sachen lifted herself up. She then glanced at the trees around her, from the branches to the birds to the leaves. Nothing aroused suspicion. But soon enough Sachen¡¯s eyes bulged. She could barely think at the moment, for she saw from afar, a figure with long hair¡ªit seemed to be floating above the soil. The hood from the figure¡¯s clothes concealed its face, and it spoke nothing and noticed nothing. In a matter of seconds it vanished, leaving Sachen in a bind. For what was the identity of that figure? It could be one of the soldiers, and such a notion seemed plausible. As she recalled the sighting once more, she came to believe that the mysterious being was somebody she knew, but she couldn¡¯t place her tongue on who. In the end Sachen derided it as a phantom.


    Sachen confirmed that the coast was clear, and the duo dashed to the shed. Sachen twisted the knob of the front door counterclockwise, she then yanked the door open. They headed inside, and in an instant the smell of rotting wood overmastered their nostrils¡ªwithout question, they stuck their heads outside to get clean air before they looked at the interior again. Much to their captivation, a row of rifles stood on the right wall, patches of blood and deep cuts were everywhere on the firearms. On the left wall, metal hooks hung pieces of armor, and the armor contained carvings of the dove. The blood stains on them corroded their luster, and in addition to that, there were ash-covered holes small enough for a bullet to fit through. Sachen walked to the upper-left corner of the shed, and she stumbled upon a basket. It held a supply of flagpoles; at the end of the poles were green flags, all of them were preserved in pristine conditions.


    ¡°Neha, look at these flags. They are green, just like the ones we saw from the forest a while ago, where the enemies were carrying it.¡±


    Neha stared at the objects. She winced. ¡°Maybe it could be that the Holy Army took the enemies¡¯ stuff from the ground and stored them here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with that. But then these flags should be dirty and ripped as they were from the fights. Why do they look brand-new?¡±


    ¡°I guess the soldiers must have cleaned and stitched them back into their original states.¡± A huge sigh from Neha, she walked to the door and shook her head, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t carry on with the task. Indeed she was exhausted when it came to her own problems, and Sachen felt more worried for her than ever. However, for Neha to turn her back was something that bothered Sachen to the fullest. She was her friend, thus to Sachen, her cooperation was required¡ªsimple as that.


    The moment Neha put her foot outside the door, Sachen jumped forward. Her heart beated fast. ¡°Where are you going?!¡±


    Neha clicked her teeth. ¡°I want us to go home. This is a waste of our time after all. We won¡¯t find anything useful here.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We haven¡¯t even looked at everything in this shed!¡±


    ¡°I know. And I understand that you are committed to the problem, but there is no way we can succeed. We should go home before nightfall so that we can put this aside. You must have heard the wrong things when you were eavesdropping the soldiers last night.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Sachen balled her fists and punched the armor. She seethed. ¡°This is important for you and me, to know everything that we have to know! I just want to keep us all safe, okay? To see more people dying, I wouldn¡¯t have the guts to move on from it any longer. Plus, with all the problems that are piling up on us, can we afford to ignore those things? Please Neha, please stay here for a couple more minutes.¡±


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    ¡°I can¡¯t. Sachen, I am tired, and I need to take a rest. Understand that we have enough time to find the truth.¡±


    ¡°Why you little... there is no time! They can attack us right now, or tomorrow!¡±


    Neha contracted her lips and pushed her eyebrows towards each other. Then there was a brief instance of silence. Sachen stood, her heartbeat waning. She breathed deeply, and wanted to say something to her, but no words could form in her head. To see Neha like this, what could she do? It was difficult to find solutions, given that Neha sounded serious about them having to go home. Of course for the sake of their safety they had to leave this pursuit, but Sachen thought otherwise¡ªif she walked out, she would lose this opportunity for good. There was no tomorrow, no next week. All that mattered was in the present.


    Irritated Sachen was, she thrashed her arms and legs around. A hissing from her mouth, the girl plunged herself to the floor. There was no choice but to act like this. ¡°Fine then! Go home, I¡¯ll do this alone! Scram!¡±


    Neha turned around. She whimpered. ¡°S-Sachen.¡±


    ¡°Shoo! If you want to go to sleep, then go do so! I ain¡¯t going to stop you.¡±


    Sachen tossed herself to the corner and crossed her arms. Staying forever was not a viable option, but it seemed apparent that things would get better if she grounded herself here, all alone and focused on her being. She felt confident she could get the job done faster solo, and that without Neha, she could fix the problems with her own strength. At least to the girl, one head was better than two, and this notice came too hasty to think as much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it. Maintaining her scowl, she rocked her body back and forth. Neha watched the flowers from afar.


    Sachen continued to be like this. She hit her head on the wall, scratched her legs, and growled. She eyed her attention the flags, the armors, and the guns¡ªfrom this, she felt as if she had have driven herself to a dead end. There were no clues she could obtain to get a better idea of what was going on behind the scenes. It could have been easier if something explicit and obvious appeared, but it wasn¡¯t so. Even when they were kids, reality offered them nothing but a hardship to their problems, and it was cruel to believe they would right away fail on this attempt.


    Turning her attention to the basket again, Sachen found something underneath it. A light bulb appeared on top of her head. She crawled to the object and retrieved from the bottom two slips of papers. They were out of place among the items in the shed. Both of them had a red seal at the bottom-right corner, a sign of significance in terms of religious, political, or military matters. The scribbles on the papers bled red, and the words in bold print curved and stroked all over the place, looking as if someone had made it difficult for outsiders to comprehend. Such designs of the words boggled Sachen¡¯s mind, she thought they were at first random doodles.


    ¡°What are these?! I can barely read this baloney.¡± Going to the front door, she showed them to Neha. ¡°Can you read these things for me please?¡±


    Neha frowned, and shifted her eyes away. ¡°No I will not.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I will do it if you apologize for your behavior.¡±


    ¡°A-apologize?! Haha, the great Sachen should not bow down to some petty trouble!¡± She laughed and crossed her arms. It was then Neha poked her forehead¡ªher cold expression made Sachen ever so nervous.


    Neha glared, she clenched her hands into fists. ¡°Say sorry. Say it now.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s with the look on your face? I¡¯ve never seen you this way! Oww, don¡¯t pinch my forehead so hard!¡±


    ¡°Say it or I won¡¯t give you anymore pencils.¡±


    ¡°No, not that, anything but that!¡± Sachen took a deep breath. She brushed her hair and lightly slapped her face. From the sight of this, she was preparing more for appearances than an actual apology. How funny it would be if she had to do this every time!


    Soon after, Sachen calmed herself down. ¡°Okay Neha, I am very sorry for my outburst, I really mean it! Please have mercy on my soul!¡±


    Before she knew it, Neha turned her frown upside down. She giggled and patted her friend¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I accept your apology,¡± Neha said. Though Sachen¡¯s plea came as half-hearted and rushed, they didn¡¯t want to create a distance between the two of them again, or else things would have gotten into a mess.


    Sachen gave Neha the papers, and the latter delved into the text. Complex as it seemed, Neha figured out the words to the very end. As she read them, her hands swung up and down, and her face paled as a sheet.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡± Neha lifted her eyes away, and she stared at the walls. There was one thing for sure¡ªSachen had a bad feeling about this. From the looks of Neha¡¯s face, the juvenile braced herself.


    ¡°Do you mind if I read it out loud?¡± Neha asked.


    ¡°N-Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I shall read the first paper.¡± Neha cleared her throat. She stopped the trembling of her hands. Her fingernails dug through the parchment.


    ¡®Date: August 22nd. The gods have arisen in full anger and hatred for humankind, in particular our village that have been blessed by their grace. For the reasons that we have sinned and corrupted our hearts so much into the darkness, it is best as the leader of the whole community, that I should authorize an important operation in order to quell such corruption among our own people. This is to be, the landmark of redemption and salvation for us, and I entrust within my own powers, that the Holy Army will do everything it takes to ensure the affliction upon the sinners. By the deployment of four companies, I shall issue a private, strict training in the forest of the east, near the cave to where holiness resides, where you all will resort to enduring the harshest discipline. For the sake of employing deception and self-perseverance in order to make this operation viable, the companies shall bear the green standard to show yourself as foreigners. Soon, the gods will approve of our plans, and we shall make preparations hence this day forth. Signed by the Lord of Lords, the 28th Leader, Yebuka.¡¯


    When she reached the end, Neha¡¯s jaw dropped. Her pupils dimmed. Her fingers entangled themselves together. ¡°What the, what am I reading here?¡±


    By then, the recitation of the first message shocked Sachen. She raised her head and pinched her ear lobes as to ward it off, but subsequently she was not able to disregard it. No response came from her, for it became too overwhelming to understand, and Neha¡¯s perfect reading of the words began to trouble the girl. She believed what Yebuka did based on the letter was a norm among the Holy Army and the Leader, since they had the obligation to protect the village from so-called sinners¡ªthis belief was about to vanish. Neha then flipped to the second paper.


    ¡®Date: September 4th. The operation has been successful¡ªwith the utmost gratitude and happiness, I am proud that our men had sacrificed themselves for the sake of bringing punishment for the sinners. It is clear to us that there is more to be done¡ªthe darkness is still lingering about the village, and clearly even with the sacrifices of the pig and that witch herself, the gods are still not satisfied. I shall order another military exercise, this time deep into the mountains, so that you can strike again the vulnerables. For this second operation, I want you guys to target the institution housing the education of the youth, so that we can witness the performances of the students, to how well they will be able to defend themselves with their own lives. Surely, this will garner support for my reign, and I hope that people will continue to love me forever. Signed by the Lord of Lords, the 28th Leader, Yebuka.¡¯


    Neha finished. At once she crumpled the corners of the paper. She sashayed in a circle and wiped the sweat off her cheeks. Then she stopped, looking at her friend.


    ¡°So it is true. I¡¯m sorry for doubting you Sachen. I just can¡¯t believe this, and I don¡¯t know what to say. How can the Leader do this? It must be fake... no, it cannot be, there¡¯s a seal here. If so, then-¡±


    In consternation, Sachen stood limp, snatched the documents, and flicked them. She held Neha by her arms and saved her from stumbling her steps. Then she stared at her dead in the eye, and in response Neha stitched her lips and loosened her eyebrows. Within her surprise Sachen grumbled, she could barely come to accept this. Why would the Leader issue such an order? As difficult as the writing might be to the girl, she understood that what the Leader was doing would be harmful to the village, and possibly it could kill more innocent people. To attack a place so that they could assess the students, it was nothing less than an act of brutality. Sachen, and perhaps Neha, had no idea of what went through the Leader¡¯s mind when he considered this. He remained an enigma.


    By this point, Sachen had mostly connected all the information accumulated, though it became unbearable than enticing to learn the hard truth of the situation. ¡°Let us keep these papers,¡± Sachen said. ¡°I have another plan that we can execute in a couple of days.¡±


    ¡°Another one?¡±


    ¡°Another one. I will tell you some time tomorrow. Let us go home, Neha, you must be exhausted by my antics. I apologize again, and I didn¡¯t mean to make you stressed out.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go together before our parents will scold us.¡±


    The girls left the shed, alas they were in accord. Upon the portrait of the sky, the sun was setting, it illuminated a scarlet blaze that lifted the colors of the flowers into sparks. Now they knew what was going on, now they must act.

 Chapter 31: The Plan They Are Going to Start

    Forty-five minutes had passed since the start of literature class, and already, Sachen was itching herself to execute the plan. She fidgeted her feet and hands, and she started to scratch her stomach¡ªit almost tipped Sachen into a burst of laughter. Out of such irritation, Sachen tried to maintain her composure, but the sensations were too much to handle. At this rate she could spring off her chair and reveal her plan before she knew it. In the end, the girl knew that this was important. Indeed, the materials that she and Neha had acquired from the school supplies room, and they kept them well in good hands so as to not lose them.


    Sachen looked at Neha, who was trembling both of her legs. Neha¡¯s eyes dulled like faint stars, and she could see again the lifelessness within her pupils; it might have been that she had been sleeping too late at night. Her friend tried to retain focus on the lecture, but the monotonous voice of Ms. Laozina curbed Neha into ennui. The teacher grated the chalk on the surface, and it bled the ears of the students. Neha¡¯s eyelids curtained her vision, and her cheeks turned white. Throughout the whole day, she had not utter a single word¡ªas a matter of fact, since a few days ago, she had kept quiet most of the time, not willing to say much. It was probably due to her disagreement with Sachen back at the shed.


    Sachen leaned over to her, and she gave a wink.


    ¡°Are you ready for it? Oh, I can¡¯t contain myself, I¡¯m so excited! At the same time, it feels so terrifying for us to do this. I can¡¯t imagine what the mayhem would be like, you know? Golly, I am about to laugh.¡±


    Neha glimpsed at Sachen, and she nodded. ¡°Yeah, but we shouldn¡¯t give ourselves away too much,¡± she replied. She tapped something inside her dress. It thumped like a board.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Our plan will spoil otherwise. Well, I don¡¯t want to wait any longer. This is now or never.¡± Sachen sketched a smile. She then had a desire to ask her friend about she was feeling right now, but it would have been quite sudden and rude. She was still worried for her, more so in the concern that Neha would mess up in the plan. Sachen had confidence for the both of them however, since they looked forward to their victory.


    On the clock above the chalkboard, the minute and second hand ticked and clicked as they journeyed through the numbers. Sachen licked her lips, and shook her right leg so hard that it could fall off. As she followed the minute hand, her eyes swirled. ¡°Tick-tock,¡± she repeated. It was repetitive, but enough to keep her attention, preventing herself from falling astray.


    When the time reached the fiftieth minute, Sachen zeroed in towards her teacher. As of now, Ms. Laozina was passing out exam reviews. She walked along the first row, and when she finished that side, she went to the second, then the third. The fourth and fifth rows, to which now the teacher was in, were the places that Neha and Sachen sat at, respectively.


    Ms. Laozina marched to Neha¡¯s side. With a lick of her finger, she handed the review to the girl. Sachen twinged her face, and under her breath she grumbled. Growing pale in a matter of seconds, her eyeballs rolled back and her tongue stuck itself out. Sachen raised her right arm. Her vocal cords became thin.


    ¡°Teacher, excuse me,¡± Sachen said in a raspy, sick voice. ¡°I need to go to the nurse.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Ms. Laozina slammed the papers onto Sachen¡¯s desk. She scowled.


    ¡°I think I caught the stomach flu...¡±


    ¡°Huh? You were just fine since the morning.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I tried my best to hide my illness, but I can¡¯t hold it in! Please, can I go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sachen, but you¡¯ll have to wait until class is over.¡± Finishing the last row, the teacher strutted to the chalkboard. She folded her hands, glared at the students, and opened her nostrils. Sachen was about to jump on her desk and holler at the woman for disregarding her so-called sickness¡ªfor this day was the only opportunity to execute the plan only once, it would be a disaster if Sachen were to do this at the end of the week. She, also Neha, had no time any longer to wait, and the moment to present the truth lied within this hour. There could be no days other than this.


    While Sachen maintained her grumbles and affliction, she nudged Neha. Her friend immediately trembled more than before. Neha gripped her hands at the edge of the desk, she couldn¡¯t lift her eyes at first. It looked as though she was about to fall apart and collapse under pressure. From the side, Sachen moved her mouth and said airless words. Understand what the long-hair girl was doing, Neha shook her head. She breathed deeply, and she raised her hand and daggered her eyes to the teacher.


    ¡°Um, Ms. Laozina.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it my dear?¡± the teacher inquired, curving her lips upwards.


    Neha smiled in a nervous manner. ¡°My friend is in great pain. I saw her like this in the morning, and she almost collapsed on the way to school. I beg for her parents to keep her at home, but they refused. I feel so bad for her, and I don¡¯t want her to be in pain for the rest of her day. I think it would best if she goes to the nurse, so that the problem will be over. That way, she will attend class with a healthy stomach.¡± Neha shrugged, she jerked her head to the side, hiding her blush.


    Sachen bolted from her chair. She held herself tightly. Her eyes glanced back and forth throughout the classroom, her breath came to a slowdown. The majority of the students whispered to one another in the midst of the silence, probably taking the girls as hilarious fools that had nothing to do but to waste time. By then, the silence withdrew.


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    Ms. Laozina mumbled incoherent words. Then she showed a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Neha, there¡¯s no way that you would tell lies. I trust you. You can take Sachen to the nurse, since I can tell that Sachen would ditch the last class of the day. But as you should know by now, leave your bags here. I don¡¯t want to be snooping around if you are carrying them to the nurse or even the bathroom.¡±


    Neha¡¯s face reddened more and more. She said her thanks; the classmates around her then snickered and pointed fingers at the duo. As soon as the teacher accepted the excuse, Neha stood up and went first to the door, with Sachen taking her lead. Only six minutes to spare, Sachen could barely wait anymore for the plan¡ªit was pulling her heart so much that she wanted to explode in joy. She could infect the same sentiment to Neha, but the latter might get herself embarrassed.


    They left the classroom and hurried to the hallways. Sachen surveyed the area and confirmed that nobody else was present but themselves. The both of them sighed. They took their steps, walking limp¡ªby immediate notice they passed along an endless row of posters from the walls. Within the posters, there was a sketch that depicted people raising their fists and guns in the air, and their cheeks and mouths were bloated as though they were caricatures. On top of the people, words congested the sky, the sky being the background. The message told something like this: ¡°Let Us Fight for the Motherland! Let Us Defend the Village with All Our Lives!¡±


    Sachen clicked her teeth upon such a message. Lately, the Holy Army had been putting these posters in almost every corner and road of the village. She and Neha encountered them from their front door the first thing in the morning¡ªthey later found out that they were everywhere in the neighborhood. Not much to her surprise, the villagers took an adoration to the message, to the point that they were at the moment, hosting an informal rally in support of the Leader. Sachen scoffed at such a gathering like that. Would the people continue to exhaust themselves for him? She doubted of their capability to change since they were so into the figure, although she held a sliver of hope that their plan would somehow make wave for dissent.


    The girls arrived at the middle of the hallway. Before them, a bulletin board was hanging on the wall. The posters covered the cork surface, but they would not be here for long, for the girls were about to bring them down.


    Sachen curled her right leg and hopped in one place. She nudged at her friend. ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± With no hesitation, Neha teared off the posters from the board. No mercy. The girl scattered the remains to the trash can near her. Promptly she rolled upwards the bottom of her dress, revealing her short pants and her bare stomach. A coil of paper was wrapped around her abdomen and sides. Neha shrunk her belly, and the paper sank to the ground, unveiling itself; it was the same size as the bulletin board. From the side of her pants, Neha took a red-colored pencil, and in a hurry did she write large letters on the paper.


    ¡°Whoa Neha, that¡¯s kind of neat!¡± Sachen said.


    ¡°Thanks. It says, ¡®Urgent Information!!!¡¯ To be honest, I thought of this phrase at the last minute.¡± Neha flipped the paper to the back, where smudges and black ink covered the whiteness of the space.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn. Here we go!¡± Gazing her surroundings once more, Sachen relaxed her right leg, and something slid through her limb. Upon reaching Sachen¡¯s toes, a roll of duct tape clattered the tiles. She pulled out a load of tape, and bit by bit, she cut it into chunks, and afterwards she created eight in total. She folded the portions only once. When she was done with that, she planted six chunks on the corners of the paper¡ªwith effort, she had finished her part.


    ¡°Done. Help me now!¡±


    Sachen snatched the right side of the paper, while Neha got the left. With time running out, they made haste. They hoisted the paper and adhered it to the bulletin board. One minute remained. Sachen lifted her dress, and on her stomach contained the documents that she had kept in security. Lucky for her, no one in her family noticed at all about them, and things might have turned out differently if Monkhuba chanced upon them. Using the last two pieces of tape, Sachen stamped them onto the documents, and she then posted the valuable items to the board. Now they were finished with this phase. Sachen exhaled all her breath and massaged her own arms. In a brief flash Neha smiled.


    ¡°Thank goodness. We made it!¡± Sachen said, turning to her friend and holding her hands. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to the classroom. This will sure to cause an uproar!¡±


    ¡°This is good timing, since the soldiers from the northern gate will do a military inspection here at the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°Darn straight! We must remain secretive however.¡± They then returned to their classrooms, their classmates waned in scrutiny. Sachen had a feeling that their plan would work without any mishaps, and that most likely, the students might be able to stop the Holy Army from committing to their atrocity. She could imagine the looks on the soldiers¡¯ faces if they were going to take a gander at the bulletin board¡ªshock, anger, disappointment¡ªand she could say the same for students¡¯ reactions. Just the thought of this ramped up her excitement. Just what would happen next?

 Chapter 32: Total Tempest

    The bell rang, and it interrupted Ms. Laozina¡¯s last lecture of the day. Before she could give details about the exam review, the students swarmed to the door and left the classroom. Along with kids and teenagers from the other rooms and floors, Neha and Sachen were at odds with the traffic again. The claustrophobia resulting from a lack of space, they could barely breathe¡ªthus the girls held still in one place while the students hacked their way through. And it was soon that most of the kids gathered around the bulletin board, and they looked close to what at first appeared to be ordinary pieces of paper.


    The pair went near the stairs and overheard the raucous voices from the middle of the hallway. While the girls waited for the results of their plans, the students scratched their heads. They wagged their fingers, and as though they had became detectives, they scrutinized the documents, in an effort to understand what was so special and strange about the papers. There was one classmate that said the documents could be a forgery, or more distressing, they might be papers which stemmed from a group of conspirators, who possibly forced Yebuka to sign the operations against his own will. Some classmates agreed, others did not. The others sought to refute the person¡¯s conclusion; they stated that the Leader would never sign such things, and that he would arrest them even if they forced him to agree the terms. All in one space, the students spewed insults. They rolled up their sleeves, poked their noses at each other¡¯s faces, and denounced one another for being in the wrong. It seemed to the girls that their plan backfired, for Sachen had never expected for the students to get to this point right off the bat. But she assured herself that things would turn out well.


    Among the commotion, the Young Guards intervened immediately. They tried to break off the crowd in the hallways and shoved them back to their classrooms¡ªbut the students pushed the group to the corner. Yelling, the majority choked off the Young Guards from getting to the middle area. In a few seconds of the blockade, the president of the high school section steered himself to the bulletin board, and he got his eyes close to the documents. Instantly he wailed and fumed. From the red seal alone, he said that he could never fathom these things being exposed out in the open¡ªit seemed too overwhelming. A second look at the papers, and the president fainted, and his colleagues escorted him off for first aid. Sachen didn¡¯t know what just occurred, neither did Neha. Perhaps the president had contracted an illness.


    The students continued their clamors regardless. Their noise growed and stirred into the air, conjuring about a rising tempest. Outside, a battalion of the Holy Army, specifically the ones from the northern gate, arrived without invitation. The soldiers hoisted their rifles and beared the dove on their breastplates, prepared for their malicious acts. Three senior officers, including the fat man, swerved their unit to the front door, and since they had feathers on the top of their helmets, they were distinguishable in sight. Then as soon as they were at the doors, the youth noticed them¡ªand they jumped. They surged through the doors and headed to the flagpole area, feeling the fire developing in their hearts.


    The fat officer, when he saw the kids, emerged from the battalion. His belly stuck out of his armor, his cheeks were bloated. His smile turned crooked. ¡°It must be a fine day youngins! All of you scram off now, for we are about to do a thorough inspection of your school to see if it¡¯s safe or not! Don¡¯t be shy, run along and go home to your mommies and daddies!¡±


    The young ones clamped their mouths, and they burst in sweat and gazed around as not to stare at the officer¡¯s face. The high school students encircled the soldiers, protecting the little pupils for the sake of their safety. It was then they were shackled in rage.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± a girl with a ponytail said. She thrust her fist forward to one of the soldiers¡¯ faces. ¡°How dare you have the audacity to attack your own people?! Shame on you, you are the devils of the world! Get out of here!¡±


    A boy next to her stepped up. ¡°You were the ones who forced the Leader to agree with your evil plans! Do not clam up, speak the truth right now! We want to get to the bottom of this!¡±


    The fat man snickered. ¡°What are you talking about? Calm down kids, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± He nudged the shoulders of his skinny companion. ¡°Nothing wrong at all, is that right lad? Haha!¡±


    ¡°Um sir, you do realize that they are angry at our presence,¡± the grunt said. ¡°What is the matter with them anyway?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But we should get our troops inside!¡± Seeing that the other officers were leading the battalion, the two men followed suit¡ªbut suddenly, they couldn¡¯t get themselves through the doors. Too many people, not enough space. Then in turn to this, the teenagers linked their arms and legs, and with scowls they hacked spitballs towards the grunts¡¯ foreheads. The senior officers uttered countless warning, but the student body did not budge an inch. The kids that were outside the encirclement held each other, not wanting to get hurt. As for Neha and Sachen, the girls rushed to the door of the stables and witnessed the standoff. Sachen still thought the plan would succeed in no time, given that the student body was outnumbering the battalion, a display of power¡ªbut success would not come without difficulties. The situation would spiral into something unexpected.


    After the refusal to surrender to the warning, the officers sneered. Then they ordered for their men to summon their rifles. The soldiers brought their guns and targeted the teenagers right between the eyebrows. Holding their fingers near the trigger, no hesitation came forth¡ªfrom the flare of their eyes, they were ready to fire upon the students. Without anything to bear in comfort, Neha and Sachen could only watch. The latter stood speechless, and her lips convulsed. It arrived to her assumption that there¡¯d be bloodshed of the innocents, thus it left her worried of what she had done, of how their actions had led to this. Regret dwelled within her. Of course she didn¡¯t know this would happen¡ªher little mind presented to her the triumph of the plan being guaranteed, without any harm or drawbacks. A child would always think everything in short-sightedness, wanting something to happen immediately, pondering of nothing else. One could say the same to Sachen. As much as such a thought came to her at a desperate time, she kept her head up. It was only a matter of patience and time, and for sure she needed them.


    Sachen gulped. She clasped her hands behind her friend¡¯s shoulders. As the battalion were about to open fire, the Young Guards swooped to the grounds and carved a narrow passage among the masses. The group confronted the unit. They told the soldiers they could go inside now¡ªonly if they withdrew their firearms. The officers agreed, and as they walked along the passage, the students bombarded them with insults, and all they responded with was a grin. The unit then went to the hallways, and seeing the posters around them, they slapped each other¡¯s chests and laughed. The teenagers crowded the windows, banging their hands against the glass. The kids joined in too.


    Upon the bulletin board, the officers set their eyes on the documents. Nothing seemed to catch their attention at first, but when they read the whole thing, they stood back. The second time the officers perused through the whole papers, they did it again¡ªand the third time, again. Their mouths hinged open. Red blotches stained their cheeks. Steam coming out of ears and nostrils, the officers hit their heads on the wall behind them. The soldiers looked at the documents also. They reacted the same.


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    ¡°W-what the hell?!¡± The chubby officer buried his nails on his neck, and choked on his saliva. ¡°The documents were here the whole time?! I didn¡¯t know that!¡±


    ¡°I told you to hold onto them,¡± the companion said.


    The man cleared his throat. ¡°I was looking for them for more than a day, ever since somebody broke into the shed! I don¡¯t have an idea of who did it!¡± He held his hands together and cried out in consternation. One officer, a tall one, nabbed the inflated man¡¯s collar and jabbed his rifle to his large stomach.


    The tall man gritted his teeth. ¡°What in God¡¯s name is this? You sir, were supposed to be responsible for holding the papers! And they happened to make their way to this school, out of all places?! Wait a minute. You and your scrawny friend there were drunk the day that the documents went missing. Perhaps you sneaked them into that jelly grease among the crevices of your stomach, and you purposely sent the papers flying all the way here! And just maybe, when you were intoxicated and full of yourself, you went into the shed and took a piss, along with your little buddy!¡± His eyes kindled. Imaginary smoke pillared from his nostrils.


    ¡°What?! I swear, I didn¡¯t take them with me!¡± the overweight man said, he bawled with tears. ¡°I left them in the shed, and I once swore that I¡¯d retrieve and bring them back to the northern gates, so that we can implement the authorization! I did not do anything, not at all!¡±


    ¡°Lies, all lies huh? As expected of you.¡± The senior swiveled his gun along the layers of the man¡¯s fat. ¡°One click from this, and your remains will become a harvest.¡±


    ¡°No please! Anything but this! Oh!¡± The officer bowed down and kissed the person¡¯s feet, begging for mercy. A single shot could guarantee a bloodbath, something that the students wouldn¡¯t tolerate to see.


    The next thing that occurred, somebody from one of the classrooms traipsed her way to the battalion. Wheezing her lungs out, Ms. Laozina approached them. Her eyes glared, and she scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°What is going on?¡± she inquired. ¡°Who the heck are you people? I demand an explanation!¡±


    The tall guy replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But you can ask this piece of lard right here. Apparently, he knows everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The moment the teacher saw the accused man, she recoiled. There was a faint smile on his faint face. In return to such an expression, she stomped the overweight man¡¯s belly and smacked him in the face. ¡°Give me an answer! Right now!¡±


    ¡°Um, I... ah!¡± No words could defend him. His face turned cold, and he screamed and rolled around on the floor. The officers and soldiers, including the skinny companion, guffawed from the man¡¯s plight. As the teacher started to pester him on an endless amount of questions, he locked his mouth shut. At this rate, the battalion seemed more focused on this humiliation than their plan, which would have made things easier.


    The tall officer squinted. ¡°I guess we are caught. There¡¯s no use bottling it. But the part where we supposedly intimidated the Leader, that cannot be anymore false.¡±


    The battalion hung their heads, exhausted. They complained that their unit had walked all the way here for an inspection, only for the students to contest and interrupt them. All of that, and they were about to break down. Now with the school realizing their plans, along with the truth behind the first raid, the loss compelled them to fall back and retire. Could they carry such shame from here? It was possible, from this point on, that they¡¯d never come here again, as it looked like they had nothing to fight for.


    Thanks to the setback, the troops threw punches and kicks at each other. Blood they drawn, teeth they broke. They spared not even themselves. In light to the tussle, Ms. Laozina and the other teachers repelled them out of the hallways, and the battalion returned outside, still immersed in their fight. Pulling armor, battering their chests with their guns, and lunging at their shoulders, they lost their attention to the students. This was what Sachen wanted, to see what how her classmates would respond to this open opportunity.


    The teenagers and the little ones, together when the battalion was exposed, suddenly struck at the soldiers. The kids grabbed stones and sticks from the ground, and salvoed it upon the grunts. At the same time, the teenagers used all their collective power, and they jostled against the officers, not granting the opposition a moment¡¯s haste to rally. In no less than a minute, the unit was overran, though they remained. The teachers and the Young Guards, awestruck, staggered to the side, unable to stop the storm. Amidst the students lacking armor protection, their numbers made up the strength, and surely it could weaken the soldiers. Facing hundreds of angry youth was not something to take light of.


    While it transpired, Sachen marveled at the chaos. She jumped and giggled, seeing that success was in the horizon. Neha squealed, she closed her eyes as to not witness the horror.


    ¡°You should see all of this!¡± Sachen said. ¡°Because of you and me, a lot of crazy stuff is happening!¡±


    ¡°No need to be so enthusiastic,¡± replied Neha. ¡°But it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Sachen puffed her chest. ¡°Now our classmates and upperclassmen know about the truth, nothing else matters for today. What¡¯s important is that at least with this chaos, the situation might be able to prevent another attack from happening again.¡±


    Neha nodded. She opened her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good. I feel a little bit safe because of those papers. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± Then Sachen saw the overweight officer wallowing in his tears. ¡°Haha, look at that guy! He is literally going to pass out!¡± She laughed more and more until she ran out of breath. ¡°So what are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°How about we stay here for a little bit, so that we can see what is going to transpire...¡±


    Neha¡¯s voice died down. She slumped her shoulders. All the sudden she eyed at the school gates, leaving Sachen hanging.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter Neha?¡± Sachen grabbed her hands and shook them as to get her attention. But her friend didn¡¯t respond. ¡°You must be really sick. Come on, let¡¯s go home as soon as-¡±


    Sachen stopped. Something heavy was in the air. The cacophony from the riot, they drowned in her ears¡ªshe could hear nothing but the rushing of blood through her head. For a moment time was at a standstill. Like her friend, Sachen arrowed her gaze at the gates. There was someone coming forth¡ªsomeone familiar. Sachen thought it was a mirage. But no sooner than ever did she realize it was that person who would come to grapple the girls into shock. No time could reserve an individual worse than anybody else.


    The person floated along the side of the encirclement. Nobody saw, beckoned, or even glared at the strange. It was as if he or she was a phantom. As the person was coming close, Sachen froze like a statue¡ªscreams and whimpers, she could not eject them. She tried to get back her composure,  but it was too painful just to move. And before she knew it, the person materialized in a blink of an eye. Wearing a hooded robe with long black hair, she smirked. It was too late to run away.


    The individual, who spoke of nothing, plucked the two of them by the back of their collars, and dragged them away from the mass. The girls struggled to slip off. Neha choked, and from the suffocation, she flailed her entire body. Sachen grated her head against the person¡¯s lower back, but the latter strengthened the grip more on her collar. In another attempt, the girl dipped her lower weight to the ground to drop herself¡ªbut that failed.


    By now, they were at the streets, inches away from the gates. No possibility of calling for help. The person ferried them into an alleyway, then dumping them. Neha and Sachen recollected their breaths, and as they did, the person lifted the hood.

 Chapter 33: When Sachen Goes Behind the Curtains

    ¡°Well hello there, my little sparrows. Nice weather we¡¯re having.¡±


    Sachen crawled to the wall. ¡°You are-¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss me? It¡¯s the ¡®daughter¡¯ of the dead witch.¡±


    ¡°Azukunika!¡± Neha said, she curled herself next to Sachen. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Azukunika snickered. She lurched her face upon Sachen and growled when seeing her necklace. She yanked the jewelry, and she then ripped the chain in half. No mercy. It left Sachen in complete surprise.


    ¡°This necklace is a disgrace, a symbol of vile monstrosity,¡± Azukunika said. ¡°You should have never gotten this.¡±


    Sachen grabbed the woman¡¯s arms, and tried to pry open her hands. ¡°Give that back! Give it!¡± But her effort quickly fell flat, for the woman¡¯s grip was too strong. Azukunika soon pushed the girl aside. The latter remained standing. ¡°What do you mean ¡®vile monstrosity¡¯? You are talking bad! Usheniko would never-¡±


    The woman zipped the girl¡¯s lips. She leaned back her head and looked towards the sky, before returning her gaze to the girls. Such a gesture from her, Sachen trembled from the bottom of her feet to her head¡ªshe knew little of what the person was going to say.


    ¡°You are such fools, little girls. First of all, do you think you can get away with the madness that you have caused from your little plan?¡± Azukunika pointed her fingers towards the school, where the battalion began to suppress the students. With the assistance of the teachers, the soldiers shoved back the students inside the school, and punishment would soon come to them. Most of the high school kids fought back, only for the soldiers to arrest them, a futile endeavor. ¡°Look at that! It was thanks to you two stealing the documents from the shed, that the battalion had to deal with the rage of the students!¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡± Neha asked. She grew pale.


    The woman twitched her eyebrows. ¡°I was watching the whole time. Days before the plan, you two met at the school grounds, and ran through the cemetery and arrived at the northern gate. I took my precious time to see what you two were up to in your shenanigans¡ªand surprise, you were able to slip by.¡±


    ¡°So the one in the forest, that was you!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You lack quite an awareness, and you should have known sooner. I would have given you the chance to catch me, but that wouldn¡¯t be fun. I just want to witness everything. After all, I am a loyal servant to the High Order, so I have to know what¡¯s up!¡± She cackled, and she coughed over and over until her throat dried. She felt a thrill within her. ¡°Oh my goodness! I am doing a good job am I, my Lord?! I have done my deeds for the sake of your righteousness and power! Good thing you approve of the raid from before, and it only managed to teach them a bit of a lesson! But now, the second raid might be cancelled, the heavens won¡¯t like this one bit.¡±


    Right when she caught her breath, the woman swung around and leapt as high as she could. She held her smile but she didn¡¯t laugh as of yet. Just the sight of her further annoyed Sachen¡ªhow could this person make a fool of herself at a time like this? What the girls did, Sachen took it seriously, she had expectations and goals, yet the woman came out of nowhere to ruin the moment. Not once could she fathom this. ¡°She¡¯s crashing it,¡± Sachen muttered. She rolled her sleeves, clenched her fists, and in turn, she punched Azukunika with whatever strength she had available. Her punches only flapped the woman¡¯s robes, but Sachen persisted. She wanted to sock the woman in the face¡ªif only she were tall enough to do so.


    ¡°You can punch me if you want to, it won¡¯t hurt,¡± Azukunika said, poking Neha¡¯s head. ¡°And you little girl, I think it¡¯s best for you to stay put! Don¡¯t be crying anymore, because something good will happen to you soon enough. I had a nice long chat with your mother long ago, although she rambled a lot of irrelevant things. Too bad my presence caused her to be more, how do I say it... deranged.¡± She inked a grin.


    ¡°What do you mean my mommy?¡± Neha walked up to the woman, and she fiddled her tiny fingers. ¡°Please tell me, I am worried about her. Do you know what they¡¯ll do to her later? I have to know.¡±


    Azukunika shook her head and closed her eyes. Neha stepped back. The woman¡¯s body smelled of peppermint, strong and thin. Seeming to notice something odd, Neha retreated to her friend¡¯s side; she snuggled her face upon her Sachen¡¯s arm without a word. The latter didn¡¯t have a clue, but probably Neha recalled a bad memory.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Azukunika uttered. ¡°All you need to worry about is your own education, like a good student.¡± She then glanced back at the school. ¡°Huh, the situation over there has been cleared up fast. I guess the students got tired of fighting, and decided to give up. So much for protesting. They¡¯re going to be in re-education classes anyways, and you girls will not be spared. You will learn everything that is good about the Leader, you will conform to his beliefs, and you will spite whoever opposes him! How fantastic!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Sachen was about to launch another barrage of punches again, but Neha tugged her friend¡¯s uniform. In an instant she pulled her away. Sachen¡¯s face reddened more than blood. She was now shaking. ¡°We are trying to tell the truth! The Leader is a cold-hearted man, and he is trying to wipe us out for his evilness! There¡¯s no doubt about that!¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, tell that to the teacher. So what are you going to do, cry?¡± The person scoffed. She chucked the emerald necklace to the ground, and stomped on it a couple of times. Sachen then retrieved the item and tried to attach it around her neck¡ªbut the chain was already broken.


    The lady glared at them again. She clicked her teeth. ¡°Do me a favor, and can you say my name again? Just so I can hear you clearly?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name.¡±


    Sachen tilted her head. ¡°Azukunika-¡±


    The woman struck herself with laughter once more. ¡°Oh my goodness! The way you say it, it¡¯s so hilarious, like you are a doll or something! Hahaha, that name is an abomination, a curse upon my soul!¡± She leaned herself closer to the girls, and perked her lips and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Tell me ladies, do I look like Azukunika? Do I really look like Usheniko, the one that people say it¡¯s my mother?¡±


    It was then Sachen scowled and gazed attentively at the woman¡¯s face. Something dark lingered on her cheeks and eyes. The point where the person¡¯s pupils turned dim, the girl choked¡ªshe clutched the emerald. For many times she shook her head, and she couldn¡¯t get herself around this. Perhaps this woman was asking a trick question? Maybe she was tormenting the girls more and more until they would surrender? Up to this point, Sachen, along with Neha, had always known that Azukunika was an offspring of Usheniko. There seemed to be nothing to refute that. Even if they shared different characters and appearances, a parent would always come to recognize his or her kids as part of them. Usheniko would never throw away her daughter¡ªbut from the start, Azukunika was the one that threw the kind woman away to her demise.


    Sachen reassured herself that the woman might be messing around with them. But the silence and unmoving lips of the individual showed otherwise. Already this was weird.


    All the sudden, the woman shrieked to herself, as though she had taken this moment as a joke. She shrugged and slumped her back against the wall, and kicking her heels upon the ground, her lips rumbled. She glanced at the school. Haze overwhelmed her eyes. It set the girls a couple of steps back.


    ¡°Azukunika is not yours truly. The person who swore vengeance upon Usheniko¡¯s family, it is undeniably me. None other than I am my own person, my name is something I¡¯ll cherish¡ªNaransaya. The real Azukunika... is still in prison, sentenced for life.¡±


    Sachen dropped the jewelry. Her knees quivered. ¡°No. It cannot be true.¡±


    ¡°Then what can you take as the truth, little one? Do you want me to repeat myself again?¡±


    ¡°No... it can¡¯t be true...¡±


    Sachen thought she had heard a lie. For this woman to be somebody else, it seemed unbelievable, perhaps a farce. But it soon cross Sachen¡¯s mind¡ªand she screeched. She huddled close to Neha and pressed her hands against her chest. The whole time the girls endured the torment of the woman, nothing came in line that she was not after all, a person they once believed she was her. A second pondering of this, Sachen wondered what was the real Azukunika up to, dwindling in her jail cell and possibly doing nothing? She began to worry. ¡°So Azukunika is never here...¡± And as much as the girl wanted to deny such revelation from Naransaya, the consideration would do more harm than good. There was no use to escaping from the truth. She yearned to know what was behind the curtains the whole time¡ªand now she was in it.


    Sachen pinched her face so hard that it could bleed, and something twisted in her chest. Neha was unable to mend the pain, for she was too, shocked to speak.


    ¡°You dog, you devil, you bottom feeder, you scoundrel of the north!¡± Sachen rattled both her hands. ¡°How can you lie to us like that?! Dang it, I should have known earlier! You are the worst person ever! Get out of our way!¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Naransaya rolled her tongue. ¡°Hahaha! What¡¯s the matter? Is the truth too much for you?¡±


    Neha hyperventilated. She tumbled to the ground. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us, please don¡¯t hurt us, please!¡± She shielded her face as to not get in harm¡¯s way.


    ¡°Too late, too bad. Ah, it feels good to see you girls scared out of your minds! So do you want to know more about my vengeance? I bet I have to satisfy your curiosity, isn¡¯t that right? If Usheniko were here, then she would come to save you. But she¡¯s sleeping with the bugs right now!¡±


    Lost on how to fight Naransaya, the girls held each other¡¯s hands and walked a couple of inches away from her. With shaky legs and sweaty hands, they returned to the street. Simultaneously on the school grounds, the soldiers of the battalion taunted the fat officer countless times, taking it to the point where they started to kick him like a donkey. The fat man wailed; they then stowed him away to the front gates, hauling him to the southern district. Right after that, Naransaya strode to their sides and grimaced. Her presence was ever so terrifying.


    Naransaya hugged herself and nestled her cheeks against her shoulders. She burst into giggles, at again in delight.


    ¡°Do you want to know more? Come on, answer me you little runts! I am dying to tell you! Hurry hurry, give me something! You said yes? Okay!¡±


    Sachen leaned over to her friend. ¡°This woman is crazy.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Naransaya jumped. ¡°Well then, let me tell you a story, a story that your little hearts and brains wouldn¡¯t even take without falling apart, but you¡¯ll understand anyway. Do you know that treacherous, poor leader that we had two years ago? From the start, the likes of the reactionaries were suspicious to Ozughen¡¯s administration. Thus, an abbot named Yebuka sent my father to spy on the Ganshipe family...¡±


    ¡°Yebuka?¡± Sachen inquired. ¡°He did bad things back then? I should have stopped him earlier.¡±


    Naransaya shuffled her steps to the school gates and stared at the front door. The door hung ajar, and the wooden frame contained black dots and splinters, still intact from the outrage of the student body. She brought her gaze down and muttered words with her voice breaking. She turned back to the girls.


    ¡°I begged my father not to go because of the dangers, but he swayed me off. The last time I saw him, he showed me a big smile. Thus, he went off to the house of the fiends. It was rather lavish, with every room having decorations and items pertaining to the work of the devil; plus, the house was so big that it took one-fourth of the northern district! My father blended in quite easily. He got himself acquainted with many members, most importantly the patriarch and his wife, all of them wore that disgusting emerald. He aimed to expose them to the light by trying to find evidence that they were using black magic to worsen the conditions of the village. But a month had passed since the start of the mission.¡±


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Neha grooved her nails on her palms.


    Naransaya grabbed her robe tightly. The haze in her eyes darkened, leaving nothing but a faint glimmer. ¡°Those bastards killed him, the one I loved dearly. They manifested their vile monstrosity. They made him drunk, to which he confessed everything about his plan. In a rage, they stabbed him, choked him alive, burned his skin, shot him in the head, and tarred and feathered his body. He died in the most excruciating form of agony... goddammit!¡± Naransaya trampled on the cobblestone, scratching her heel and sole. ¡°Yebuka was outraged, and when he told the news to me, I was so pissed! He let me join his side, and for a while, I had something to fight for. Damn, damn, damn!¡±


    Neha pursed her lips. Her heart softened for a bit. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that. If I can call the dove, then there must be something-¡±


    ¡°No apology could bring back my father.¡± Tears developed. Naransaya snapped her fingers and spit saliva at the grass. She almost booted the girl in the face. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it feels like to lose a loved one, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Neha does know!¡± Sachen said. ¡°What gives you the right to say that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know at all, so shut up. Back to the point. Days after he died, I couldn¡¯t bear it, and without him, I had nothing to look forward to. But thanks to Yebuka and his group, I was able to get back on my feet. Yet the grief remains.¡±


    Neha covered her face. She too, had tears. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Sachen patted her shoulders.


    ¡°At the same time,¡± Naransaya continued, ¡°we acquired weapons and armor from night raids of the armory. With the revolution starting, we also set up camp in the forest, and we made continuous ambushes and sabotages against the High Order. Little casualties. A collective strength we accrued. We obtained victory after victory¡ªbut it was one gloomy night, where Yebuka almost had his life taken.¡± She brushed her hair aside, and walked closer and closer to the duo. The girls were frozen. ¡°To hope that they could win the conflict, Ozughen called Usheniko¡¯s daughter, the real Azukunika. He assigned her to assassinate Yebuka under the full moon. That way, they could destabilize the rebels and crush them. Thus, when we were sleeping, Azukunika sneaked into Yebuka¡¯s hideout. She stabbed him just two times¡ªand the ones who were awake caught sight of her. She ran away, able to escape from our grasp. What cowardice that wench showed. If I had stayed up the whole hour, I would have strangled her.¡±


    Getting dizzy from the woman¡¯s account, Neha collapsed on her knees. Sachen grabbed ahold of her. Towards Naransaya the girl scowled, she admonished the woman for saying such horrible things¡ªbut the woman held no qualms.


    ¡°You monster,¡± Sachen remarked, glowering at her.


    ¡°Say what you want, but it won¡¯t change anything. In fact, now you should know how much I had to suffer to get to this point. Do you understand now, little sparrows? Look at me. Look at what I had to bear, the humiliation and disgust that I once carried when I acted as a pretender to that sinner, Usheniko. Your stupid friend thought she could get off the hook. Her daughter, let alone her bloodline, were the carriers of disaster, yet she didn¡¯t even acknowledge a bit of it. In the end, I had to be the one to bring her to justice.¡±


    Naransaya became quiet. As seconds flew by, she resumed again her uncontrollable laughter, her face wrinkled from her tears. From the reveal of the past, everything clicked and fit in the girls¡¯ minds, and now they bore the burden of knowing too much of the facts. They imagined the horrors and bloodshed of the revolution, the fate of the family, the aftermath, and so forth¡ªand they garnered nothing but guilt. Without reluctance they pitied Naransaya, for her to live through those times, those terrible ones. How could a young adult like her survive and fight back, even when her father died long ago? How did she trudge through the bloodshed, something which the girls found it as a serving reminder to their recent struggles? It could be that Naransaya, being a grownup, contained in herself a unstoppable willpower, enough to power her on. That willpower was more mighty than the duo combined. Sachen, when thinking of this, had at once a desire to acquire such strength, she wanted to fight further for her and her friend¡¯s sake. But little they had they could not push anymore.


    The colors of the clouds and sun decayed. A flock of crows flew to the school roof, they stared at the girls and cawed. Naransaya stepped up to Sachen, and she again snatched her necklace and chucked them to the school grounds.


    ¡°Take that damn thing off your hands. Innocent blood had been spilled by that emerald,¡± Naransaya said, walking by them. Before she left, she spoke one more remark, this time towards Neha. ¡°Soon girl, will your time come. Let the gods help you in your endeavors.¡±


    Then Naransaya departed from the eastern district. By now, the lady filled Sachen with torment, and it made her empty. In this hour there was nothing left. The riot, the battalion, all dissipated¡ªthe chance of victory, that too was gone. The girl viewed a row of buildings besides her, soon whimpering. Her hope dwindled in the horizon, and there occurred to her a terrible defeat. The things Sachen had not known before, she would remember this as long as she lived, cradling and suffering from the inconceivable side of the truth.


    Neha, who reclaimed the necklace and gave it to Sachen, hugged her friend. Their heartbeats waned.


    ¡°Sachen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be better if we go home.¡±


    Sachen nodded. ¡°Our plan went down the drain, because our classmates and the others were unable to stop the bad guys. But it¡¯s our fault for starting this.¡±


    ¡°At least we tried our best.¡±


    ¡°No... we should have tried harder.¡± Sachen extended her arms, and Neha picked her up. Having nothing to say, the pair left the area. It was only time when their misfortunes would persist to make them languish.

 Chapter 34: Azukunikas Fate

    In a remote area of the world, there was an island that held a prison. It was home to all the convicts that were arrested by the Holy Army and the High Order. Residing in the place alone diminished their sanity; some of them were willing to break down the door, destroy the entire place, and then kill themselves. If one visited there, then one would hear the laments and wails through the wall every day and night, nonstop. It was unbearable. No use to escape anyway since storms and blizzards tend to occur, and the ocean would consume them before they could swim out of the island.


    It was much of an agony for Azukunika. Under the full moon, she shivered and stared at the blank walls. Although her black-colored pajamas provided her some warmth, she could barely get over the chills in the air. Her cell was cramped and devoid of life. The gray walls leaked water through the cracks and holes, and it gave off a putrid scent as though the room had transformed into a swamp. On the other side of the place, the moonlight glimmered the iron bars and the window; a gust then flew in, making the girl beg for more blankets. Azukunika curled up on her metal bed, and she looked at the drawer behind her, which housed hygiene necessities and her undergarments.


    She let out a sigh. As it came to her, she wondered what was happening back at the village. So far in her sentence, she had not heard anything about her family, her mother, and her community. She constantly wished to see them, but the wardens would reject her offer. It led to her feeling concerned for them, and for them to be quiet after the revolution against the previous regime, it was peculiar. Day after day, the absence of any news seemed to make her estranged to the world.


    As the voices of the convicts billowed the hallways, Azukunika folded her pillow and covered her ears with them. She gritted her teeth, her tolerance was shrinking as she spent much of her time here. The inmates themselves, the woman never met them face-to-face. Whenever the guards released them for dinner or recreational activities, they would wear a face mask and conceal their identities, so as to not have them get either ridiculed or criticized. At one point, everybody was so wary of each other that they guessed the names, occupations, and the crimes of their peers. Some of them got it right the first try, and as for others, they were way off.


    Azukunika did not participate in their charades, for she bore the shame and guilt in her wrongdoings. She remembered fresh and well of her time in the revolution. Although she was originally neutral when it came to the conflict, the family¡¯s fear of being attacked drew her into the tension. Of course she could not ignore such fear, as she felt that fighting back of whatever threat they face would do good to her. Thus she went to the High Order to seek assistance. Ozughen, to which she supported him whole-heartedly, ordered her to assassinate Yebuka for the sake of family honor. If she succeeded, then the regime would provide her anything she wanted¡ªor else he¡¯d sell her into slavery. But Azukunika only sought her mother to come back from the spiritual mission and move away to another place with her. Nonetheless she complied to his order. At first the plan sounded easy; she¡¯d go into the encampment of the rebels and murder Yebuka, nothing more than that. She was once prideful, too much to see the reality of things. When she realized how difficult it would be, it mounted a lot of pressure upon her, and she experienced a tremendous anxiety. As such, the outcome happened otherwise to her expectations. After the botched attempt, Azukunika ran away from the village, eluding from capture, and settled in the grasslands for a brief period. She hid her face and worked as a peasant, and she befriended a lot of people. Nobody was suspicious. At that point, she believed she could escape for good. But being far away from the family, it crushed her heart so much that she didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.


    It was one day that an informant from Yebuka¡¯s posse caught her red-handed. For the whole time, the informant spied on her movements and activities, and the revolutionaries found it hard to believe that a person like Azukunika would live in the grasslands. When one day Azukunika tended to the livestock, the informant struck her down and explained the reasons for her arrest. Knowing what she did back then, she surrendered¡ªthe next thing that occurred, she was on trial. She begged to the officials to tell what had transpired at the end of the war and what had happened to her family. They said nothing about it. Instead they condemned her, even insulting her bloodline, calling her the devil¡¯s worker, a rapist, a blood drinker, and more.


    Now twenty-four years old, Azukunika could not imagine of how long she must bear her prison sentence without going insane. Not seeing her mother and her family for the rest of her life, the darkness of the jail cell was only there to draw herself into despair. As much as it was scary, it comforted her. She was used to it by now. In her tolerance, she soon regretted her actions and sins in the past; she longed to go back in time, bring her family somewhere else, and reside in peace. But the blood she had shed sunk deep into her skin, enough to make herself a heretic among the gods.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Oh mother, if only I was there with you, then none of this would have happened. Where are you now?¡± Azukunika uttered, scowling and smacking her forehead. ¡°I swear, I cannot face this without crying to myself in my sleep. I miss you so much. I want to return to the good old days, where I gave you my love and supported you on a lot of things. Dammit, I should have turned my back on those incompetent rats, and I should have helped you all.¡±


    Something then fell from the bed. A clink she heard, Azukunika lurched at the barren, cold floor. The emerald on her necklace faded away from its color, and in an instant it turned dull and lifeless. The woman picked it up and grasped it close to her bosom. Her mother gave this to her at her high school graduation; at the time where Azukunika wore the necklace, Usheniko complimented her for being so beautiful. Azukunika squirmed around her blanket, she blushed before her face descended into gloom. All her memories with her parent, such things remained vivid in her mind, and never in her life could Azukunika forget them. After all, they were the only possessions she carried within her.


    ¡°Is my mother doing okay? I bet that she is giving out more fortunes than ever. But in this age, it seems plausible to think that she is out of business. Maybe right now, she is working as a farmer. She has the strength to do so, but her willingness to commit to a laborious task is lacking. Haha, it sounds funny anyway.¡± Azukunika tossed and turned, and her braided hair flicked her face. She stroked her hair, the illumination of the moon scintillated the silver strands. It was as if her hair was turning into a nebula.


    As she was about to close her eyelids and sleep, a knock came from the iron door. Azukunika got up and perked her face through a small opening. Once she narrowed her eyes, she saw two guards. They giggled and nudged at each other.


    ¡°What do you want? Can¡¯t you see that I am taking a beauty sleep here? Scram, go away.¡±


    The guards shook their heads. One of them brought out a parchment. Under the orders of the Leader, it told them to report everything to Azukunika about the situation in the village¡ªincluding the fate of her parent and family.


    ¡°What?! You¡¯re telling me this now?¡± Azukunika stepped back, she kicked the back of her heels against the drawers. ¡°Well then, don¡¯t stand there! Say something!¡±


    The guards rolled the paper away and stood still. In the hallway where they were, the torches on the wall burned their faces. Their lips dried up and their cheeks went limp. They set their gaze to their feet, and they coughed and sweated. Azukunika scratched her head.


    It was then that they proceeded to explain. Slowly and steady their words funneled. Once she heard the first sentence about her mother, her heart shriveled. She collapsed to the bed. She kicked her feet in the air, defiant. Never could this occasion get any worse. The guards ran their mouths and continued their explanations, with every word they said came with a sneer.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Azukunika thrashed her limbs and clawed her nails on the walls. ¡°Those things cannot be true! My family, my mom, they-¡± She choked, her face turned gray. She couldn¡¯t believe everything they said had actually happened¡ªshe thought they were joking around to humor her from this squalid condition. But to hear her mother¡¯s demise was something that she was not able to handle. Her family, she always knew them as resilient, stalwart, that nothing could stop them from their downfall. Such notion was by then out of the window. Everything in her mind went blank, and she could think nothing but horrendous impression of their deaths. Their necks hanging, bullets lining up their arms and legs, their bodies being thrown to the river and fishes eating them, any possible image she conjured created a storm of fright.


    The guards wrapping up their statements, said all their accounts were factual, no evidence was needed. They then left the hallway. They went back to work.


    Azukunika ripped her necklace and threw it to the ground. ¡°Utter rubbish you scums are spewing! Show me my family! Bring them here!¡± No matter how much she begged for such a request, her loved ones would never come back to life. All that her family left behind for Azukunika was the burden of the truth. She wanted to blame them for putting themselves in a precarious position, but it wouldn¡¯t change anything. They were forever gone.


    Azukunika buried her face upon the pillow. Joining in the noises of the inmates, she screamed and sobbed. Now she had learned about their fates, she looked at her remaining part of her life as dark and futile. What was the use of living any longer? Without her parent, she had nothing to live for. Suicide seemed to be the most honorable, viable option, and it would at least give her peace she needed from the inescapable torture. But pain swelled her entire body, and soon she lacked the courage to end her life.


    Azukunika capitulated to her sorrows. More than ever she missed her loved ones. She was alone in her own world. There was nobody to save her.

 Chapter 35: Ebbing

    The arrival of home from school couldn¡¯t get any worse. Right when Neha stepped into the main room, Tulisen told her something about a spiritual mission. The girl, though she had no idea what he meant at first, thumped her feet and closed her ears, and she moved a couple of steps back. She never knew Tulisen would bring up such a topic. It was as if he was pushing it in order to somehow persuade her into doing what she needed to do. Ridiculous, surprising. She didn¡¯t want to look at him, but it was then she listened hard and well of what her guardian had to say.


    Tulisen folded his arms. ¡°You must understand. It is very important that you should undertake the spiritual mission.¡±


    ¡°W-why should I?!¡± Neha kicked the edge of the table. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go, and I don¡¯t have to! I need to continue going to school!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn my dear. This morning, the Leader ordered for me to tell you about this. You should not ignore the priority that is given to you, no matter what. It is for the sake of the whole village.¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not! This mission thingy is stupid, it¡¯s meaningless! Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Why must you assume that? You don¡¯t mean to say such a thing because of Usheniko-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about her this time!¡± Neha fumed. She darted across the main room and arrived at the couch. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me about it anymore...¡± She plopped onto the cushions. One more glimpse at Tulisen and she would not hesitate to throw her satchel at him. Already the topic was welling her up in frustration.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know much in regards to it,¡± Tulisen replied. ¡°The Leader believes in you. You remember when he said that you hold great potential, due to the kindness in your own demeanor. He admires that from you, and concludes that you are the right fit for the task. Besides, there is nothing much to change his mind. The Leader is known for not betraying his ideas. Just listen to me, so we can make things easy for the two of us.¡± Tulisen opened his arms and tried to hug Neha, but she slapped his hands away.


    Neha curled herself into a ball and rocked. More than a week since the incident at school, she had exhausted herself into learning everything she could from the re-education classes. Now mandatory, such classes could not be avoided, and the students had to abide by the curriculum regardless of their beliefs¡ªa way to punish them for their dissent. The words of the teacher, the posters with prophetic messages, and the enthusiasm of her classmates, all was pushing Neha to collapse. Yet she knew it was necessary, so she persevered without question. At least it was the better alternative than submitting herself to the mission. The latter option meant she would have to get out of her bubble¡ªher comfort zone. No clue of what it would involve, she¡¯d rather stay in the classroom.


    She knocked her face on her knees. She heaved her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t force me to do it.¡±


    Tulisen crunched his eyes. Sighing, he threw his hands up. ¡°It is required. You are the female candidate, the one other piece.¡±


    ¡°A female candidate? What if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°Then the village will succumb into the darkness of human corruption. We will cease to exist as a civilization, or more terrifying, we will be conquered by the barbarians.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Don¡¯t say scary stuff to me.¡±


    ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be scary for you. Only if you accept of what I¡¯m saying, then that feeling will come to pass. If nothing else, I want eternal peace for the village. Everybody else feels the same way also.¡±


    Neha shook her head. Tears filmed her eyes, and she squinted. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she said. She knew the High Order placed a lot of importance on the spiritual mission. To pick two people to send off, to believe in the gods, was by all means, a sign of desperation that could never go away unless it was done. Tulisen seemed desperate also. He must have understood how much Neha, including Kuraizang, was crucial for the officials. On the other hand, the guardian¡¯s constant pestering led her to believe he was getting sick of taking care of her. She never thought he would feel such a way, but it was possible. A child without a mother and a father would be extremely difficult to look over. In the worst case, a child would end up hurting his or herself, leaving the guardian in the dust.


    Neha, releasing herself from her hug, planted her face on one of the cushions. She folded the cushion as to block out the continuous ramble of her guardian, who seemed to never catch a break.


    ¡°You see Neha, the gods are still not happy with the way things are going lately. At any rate they will send us in damnation. Do you really want that? Of course not. And also, the incident at the school intrigues me; such rebellious youth we have these days, I can¡¯t wrap my head around to how the documents got there. They are important, although I do not know what they contain. But you know something about it right?¡± Tulisen only heard the child¡¯s muffles. ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t help but think much about the perpetrators. It must have been some spy or something, I am not sure. But anyways, I condemn the foolishness of the students. Throwing fists and spitting on people¡¯s faces are no good!¡±


    The moment she heard that, Neha swiped her arm across the air. She snarled. ¡°This has nothing to do with the mission.¡±


    ¡°It does matter. Thanks to the students¡¯ protest, the village is heading for instability¡ªnow the High Order are scared for their lives. Good things the papers had been retrieved and stored for good. Regardless, the consequences will be disastrous, and soon, the village will die. I don¡¯t want that to happen, and neither do you. So Neha, you should do what is required and expected of you. The Leader is instilling trust in you, and with your cooperation, you can at least help!¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No! I said no!¡± Neha pummeled her fists on the couch. She lifted herself. Her eyes were puffy, more tears came. ¡°I won¡¯t do it. I believe it is absolutely wrong. I am just a little child, and they want me? This is dumb. I only want my mom and dad back, so go find somebody else better.¡±


    ¡°Neha.¡± Tulisen came close to the couch and flicked the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°You are growing defiant, and I have never witnessed you acting like this. You are becoming rather disobedient. Do you want to continue upholding your tantrums? Do you want to look like this for your mother, who soon, will be going to prison? I don¡¯t think so, and as your guardian, listen to me-¡±


    ¡°I will only listen to my mom! Be quiet!¡±


    The guardian scowled. ¡°Heh. Typical child. After she attempted to commit a murder, you would say that in front of me? She is a sinner, she needs to repent.¡±


    ¡°She did nothing wrong! She was trying to protect me!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, this instant-¡±


    ¡°And stop telling me what to do.¡±


    Neha seethed. Talking anymore would waste her breath. As long as this continued, her words could never get through his ears. Thus, she sprang from the couch and bolted to the front door. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my mom.¡± The door still open, Neha stormed out. She then dragged herself to the middle of the neighborhood.


    ¡°What in God¡¯s name are you doing? Come back here! I demand for you to do so! Damn, this rat.¡± Tulisen kicked the door. His face was scorching. ¡°Yesun, your daughter is being assertive. What am I do with her? Have I failed?¡± He sighed a million times. The girl was now far from his grasp, so he stayed put, for he had to go to work again.


    Neha reached the village center. She stopped, and made way for a battalion from the Holy Army, who were marching and inspecting everything, neglecting nothing in their sights. Their footsteps shrouded the cries and chirps of the cicadas, and the sounds crept shivers upon Neha¡¯s back. Their presence, it aroused the villagers, so much so that some of them threw themselves before the soldiers and kissed their hands. The officers swayed them away, and the unit continued until they turned sharp left into the southern district. Still the villagers remained head over heels¡ªsome of them were willing to follow the ones they had kissed.


    When the battalion disappeared, Neha caught her breath. Lately she had been seeing more of the soldiers, and it must have been that the High Order were taking precautions for the safety of the village. Of course, in light of the dissent at school, the officials mustered as much troops as they could, as a way to police the community and to make sure no evil would appear. And just by observing them made the girl feel guilty. She felt such guilt because of her participation in Sachen¡¯s plan, and she was compelled to make a statement of apology¡ªhowever, her timid nature prevented her from taking action. The first and only attempt she tried was one time during Ms. Laozina¡¯s literature class; when she told the truth to everybody, the classmates laughed at her and dismissed her as a soothsayer. In turn, she wetted her underwear, and she then ran off to the lavatories. Sachen repeated the things she had said, although she couldn¡¯t convince the classroom in the slightest. Hence thereforth, the girl said to herself that she might never try it again. The embarrassment, she still remembered it clear as day.


    There was no time to be embarrassed about the memory. For Neha was out of Tulisen¡¯s grasp¡ªfor now¡ªshe had to go see her parent. Thus looking both ways, Neha wandered to the northern district.


    ¡°I wonder if my mother is well today,¡± she said. She traversed through the open-air markets, and the sweet smell of butter and fruit tempted her to go grab a bite. From the side, the chickens and cows bellowed, and they watched the little girl as though they were keen on her movements. She quickened her pace, bumping upon people without saying sorry. As she went, her chest pounded and her eyes became dry from the cold air. Then her legs grew numb. Now she was tired from running. She put her hands on her knees and crouched, about to fall asleep on the spot. But not more than a few seconds later, she got up, and she persisted in going. Right at this moment, her mother was the priority, she knew that well¡ªbecause her mother was the only person, other than Sachen, whom she could talk to without a bit of doubt. During their interactions whenever Neha visited her at her ¡°punishment place,¡± they¡¯d talk about many things: Neha¡¯s father, the kid¡¯s time at school, the weather, the flowers, the food, and other mundane subjects. Her parent would give kisses on Neha¡¯s cheeks, and this was one of the things that made the child melt. Neha would never get bored of it. No wonder these days, she kept looking forward to visiting her.


    Indeed, Neha didn¡¯t want such times to end. She¡¯d cry forever if her mother were to be transported to prison today, or any day for that matter. It was hard to imagine her parent being in a jail cell, where she could be alone and desolate, possibly she could break down in insanity. Worse, Aijin could get entangled with vicious inmates in arguments or fights, something Neha hoped for it to never happen.


    Neha loved her mother as well as her father. She longed to reunite with the both of them. She wished her father could come back to life. She wished her mother would forever be free from her crimes. What more could she ask for? Someone like her, they had a desire to take things back, to return their own world to the way it was. It gave them comfort. More so, it gave them happiness, to which without a second thought, they¡¯d never surrender it again to circumstances and hardships. Keeping happiness was something every kid wanted. That went for Neha too.


    But reality was cruel. This time, something terrible would happen for the little girl.

 Chapter 36: At The Doors of Despair

    The girl then arrived at the northern gates. The officers she had encountered at school from the riot were absent today, which lifted the burden off her shoulders. Normally they¡¯d be here, but today was not the case. As she strolled, the sky grayed and the clouds hung near the hills and valleys, and the flowers and plants around her wilted. The autumn air blanketed people into chills, most of them gathered around one another for warmth. At the gate, a pair of guards ambled about in circles.


    Neha stopped. She eyed on the doors that stood ajar, and coming close, she saw the environment beyond the gate. The winds brushed over the fields and hills, collecting the petals from the flowers. The petals glistened as they moved¡ªand it captivated the girl so much that she felt driven to frolic through them. Nearby the gates, there was a large cabin that housed resources, medical needs, and bedding for people working there. Further north, the mountains stood under the heavens, and the workers and soon-to-be prisoners labored deep in the quarries for the extraction of minerals, a mind-numbing task rather than a meaningful one. Using pickaxes and carts, they procured as much as they could in order to make ends meet.


    Neha strode to the doors and took a long look at the place. ¡°There are so many people here,¡± she said. ¡°Never mind that, I have to go see her.¡±


    Her mother, who was also working at the quarries, would get up at early dawn and labor. In the evening she would meet her daughter, no matter if she was tired or not. The girl expected that today she would show herself in the meantime, so she giddied up and stretched out her arms, about to push the doors. Her heart fluttered, and she was sweating. She could not afford to miss the opportunity¡ªand it was not as though she¡¯d miss it anyway.


    But all the sudden, she kicked her feet against the ground. She stopped. From the side, a guard shoved her. She bit her tongue and pushed herself back a bit.


    ¡°Hey girl, where do you think you¡¯re going? The damn weather is too cold for you. Scram!¡± that guard said. He burrowed his eyes towards Neha¡¯s face, making her uncomfortable.


    ¡°I just want to visit my mom...¡± Neha fidgeted. She moved away from him. Then another guard walked to her side.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re that kid again,¡± the second guard uttered. ¡°Well if you want your mother to be here, then you should have came earlier.¡±


    ¡°But I just went home from school.¡±


    The first guard shrugged, and he scowled at the mountains. The winds chapped his lips and frosted his cheeks. From his expression, Neha shivered. There was no telling what he was thinking, let alone what he was about to say. The girl wanted to run off, scared of the two personnel, but she had to make a visit.


    Things were not what they seemed however. The first guard yanked a hair strand, apparently in gloom. ¡°You really want to see her today?¡± he asked. ¡°You might regret it.¡±


    Neha pouted. ¡°I do! Why else am I here? Please let me go.¡±


    The second guard winced at the girl. ¡°Well, if you want to, then be prepared.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll understand soon.¡±


    The guards made way for Neha, and the girl headed a bit through the doors. She widened her eyes and rubbed her ears as to ignore the words of the guards, for she thought that they were trying to trick her again. Every time she came to the gate for visitation purposes, people like them would make tall tales about how there¡¯d be a dragon or a giant snake coming forth the mountains and fields. Of course, it humored her, even if their tone was serious.


    But at this point, the guards and the people around the gate did not look so well. They caved their attention towards their feet rather than the mountains. They walked stiff as though they had something in their pants and sleeves. With a bout of silence, Neha¡¯s body tensed, and she gawked at the mountains for so long that her eyes could wilt like the flowers. Dryness occurred in her throat, it left her no room to say anything much.


    She stood long, not willing to move. Her heart beat louder than the clinking of the pickaxes. Numbness possessed her legs and toes. Something rushed through her eardrums, it sounded like a river stream. This happened for less than a minute, annoying her, frightening her. Then, she heard a scream¡ªit came from the field near the cabin. Slowly Neha shifted her eyes to that area. No days other than today would bring her a storm of torment.


    Afar, a pack of workers and troops were transporting somebody on a gurney. An ocean of blood cloaked the blanket and sheets, and the iron smell invaded the air. The pale fingers and toes twitched, seeming to move by their own control. At once, the group headed for the cabin, and one of the workers knocked the door for help. Instantly, a medical team emerged from the building, they rushed into intensive care in response to the agony of the afflicted person. The team got to work.


    Neha clutched her chest. She hung open her mouth, letting the coldness freeze her tongue. She asked herself many times of who could the person be, what the person had done to be in such a situation. She might stay here all day and guess a thousand times, and she¡¯d still be here. And she felt sorry for the person. Whomever was lingering beneath the soaked blanket, there must have been something horrible that happened. A workplace accident seemed probable, since safety of the workers was lacking, and chances were that there were injuries and deaths earlier in the day. She wanted to help him or her, even if the individual was a stranger, or else she¡¯d think she was here for nothing.


    But such a suggestion fleeted in her mind as she knew it. It became only a pipe dream.


    She closed her mouth and scratched her chest. Before Neha could take a step forward, she saw the person in details¡ªshe could not believe it. Still on the gurney, her clothes, ripped and stained with black marks, were also covered in blood. On the worker¡¯s forehead there was a laceration that traveled near her eyebrows. It was fresh, enough for it to fountain more blood. Her face was just as worse, as her cheeks turned paler than the clouds and sunk deep into her face. And what was more, her eyes remained open, allowing the wind to dry up the tears, and allowing her to aimlessly stare at the heavens. Motionless she also was. By the seconds, her condition turned pallid, and although the medical team tried to keep her alive, at this rate there was no stopping the affliction. Horrifying. The girl, seeing this, squinted and swayed side to side before she regained her composure. Never did she expect such a sight to appear. It was then she hoped that the person would come back healthy and lively. But it wouldn¡¯t be so.


    She glanced one more time at her face. Anxiety. Confusion. Realization. When it came to her, she wailed from the bottom of her lungs. Her voice shook the flowers and the cabin and the mountains and the earth. Tears blurred everything before her eyes.


    ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± Neha burst away from the doors and tried to get to the field. But the guards, not willing to let her loose, seized her arms. They dragged her back to the gate. Now she was far off from her parent, who was by then, on the verge of nonexistence.


    ¡°Please, please! I have to see her up close! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry lass, you can¡¯t,¡± said the first guard. ¡°We heard the news an hour ago that the woman got into an argument with another laborer, and struck the latter with a brick. She groveled to the ground and began to bellow something about her husband. Right as the soldiers were going to restrain her, she hit her head on the quarry cart¡ªthen she fell unconscious. Be that as it may, there is a miniscule chance that she will recover.¡±


    The second guard laughed all the sudden. He choked on his saliva. ¡°A pretty nasty wound! She¡¯s definitely a goner!¡± The two of them then laughed together.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny! Stop it!¡± Neha clawed her nails on the guards¡¯ wrists and freed herself from their grasp. Again she took off for the fields as fast as ever. In a flash, she thought she could make it to the cabin. But the personnel managed to catch up to her. In anger, they tightened their restraint on her hands, wrenching her. They tossed Neha back to the doors, and the pair whistled at her and snapped their fingers.


    Neha got up. She stomped. Then she bundled her strength in her voice and yelled. ¡°I want to see her, I want to talk to her one more time! Please please, let me come to her side! Mommy, can you hear me? I¡¯m here again, and I want to listen more to your lullabies! I don¡¯t want things to be like this¡­ not anymore!¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The second guard snickered. ¡°Beat it kid! There¡¯s nothing much to see here!¡±


    ¡°B-but-¡±


    ¡°Go away,¡± the first guard said. ¡°No use running to her if she is gone for good.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not gone! I know she¡¯s still alive!¡±


    ¡°Kids. They can dream all they want.¡±


    Neha wept. She dropped to the ground. The moment she realized nothing could be done, her heart snapped in half. All her hopes and wishes dwindled into specks of dust. Had this been the result of her mother¡¯s wrongdoing, or worse, of the sins of her father? She believed so. If only her parents had not done what they did, none of this might have happened. The girl would have been living normally like her friend, and she would have not strained herself into seeing her mother at the gates. But overall, she blamed herself. She felt she had hurt her parents for being their child. She had brought them much suffering just for them to take care of her all these years. Especially her mother, Neha considered that her mental condition transpired from the exhaustion of raising the daughter. Likely it rang true, but it would never be confirmed. At the same time it occurred to Neha that perhaps, being a burden on their lives, it led Aijin and Yesun into doing crimes out of their sentiments, offloading their stress from the household. From her self-blame alone, she longed to give something back for her parents in the name of gratitude. But as of today it was too late to do anything of the sort. Now that the girl was the only one left in the family, she shouldered the guilt, and then she wondered if it was better to exist no longer. Joining her parents in heaven, she took this into account.


    The ones she loved since she was born, the ones that raised her, all that was supposed to be in the future became imaginary. Without the both of them, there was nothing left for Neha to look forward to. And how could she live like this from here on, even with her guardian she considered to be unreliable? No answers appeared.


    Soon the medical team declared that the woman could not be saved. They then shipped the body into the cabin for further examination, without informing the daughter of this unfortunate event. The guards ceased their laughter, they immediately returned to their posts. Neha sniffled, and no more tears were present for now. She became quiet. She stood, and wiping her uniform of the dirt, she ran off from the northern gate and returned to her neighborhood. She arrived at her house, and with Tulisen gone for work, she sat on the doorsteps. Nobody being around, she covered her face. As the leaves flew and the sky blackened, she pondered about her dream involving Usheniko. She lamented and blamed the woman for leading her into such a bad place by her words, and at one point she yearned to destroy the mound from the woman¡¯s former abode. To be patient for the truth, the girl found it ridiculous to believe. In the first place there was no need in taking that phrase into heart, and Neha knew well that Usheniko would say random things. But there was certainty that Usheniko used magic to enter the child¡¯s mind and attempted to warn her, something Neha thought it could be true. If so, she regretted ignoring her. And thanks to the dream, which she now dubbed it as a nightmare, Neha was suffering more and more.


    Neha¡¯s face grew heavy. A passing leaf sat on top of her head, and then it departed. As soon as she lifted her gaze, she heard gallops from her left. Frightened, she laid her forehead upon her knees and concealed her face again, hoping that the individual would go away. Meeting somebody at this time was the last thing she wanted.


    The footsteps then stopped. Someone sighed. One peek at the person, Neha scowled. It was none other than her friend.


    ¡°Hey Neha, how are you?¡± Sachen asked, calming herself. ¡°I just came back from school, after I had to do more of those dumb re-education classes, whatever you call it. You are here early today, so it must have been that the teacher let you go home. I guess you are too smart for your own good huh? And also, I don¡¯t think anybody will believe what we did... you know, about the plan to expose the High Order and the Holy Army? At least they won¡¯t be attacking us the second time, that¡¯s great!¡± Sachen moved her eyebrows upwards when Neha said nothing. She stroked Neha¡¯s head and poked her ears. ¡°You must be tired. You should go inside your house.¡±


    Neha remained. Sachen swayed her friend¡¯s body back and forth to get her moving. But Neha anchored herself to the point where she did not want to move at all.


    Sachen whimpered. She caressed Neha¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Your skin, it¡¯s pale. You¡¯re feeling sick lately? No wonder. You can go to my house if you want, I¡¯ll treat you there.¡± Sachen grabbed her hands, only for Neha to look up. She showed her defeated expression.


    ¡°Oh my! Your eyes are puffy and red! So you¡¯re not okay at all!¡± Sachen tried to pull her away with all her might. Neha gazed away from her. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go-¡±


    Neha rattled her head. Raising herself up, she held onto the doorknob and opened the door slightly. This day being a disaster, there was no way she could confront her dear companion without hurting her.


    She turned to Sachen. Her eyes turned foggy. Everything in her head went blank.


    ¡°Sachen. Please leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to see you again. I just can¡¯t.¡±


    Right away Sachen stepped back. She seemed confused. ¡°What are you saying? You know I can¡¯t leave you alone. Ah! The sickness must be affecting you isn¡¯t it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No! Stop saying I¡¯m sick! I just want to be alone!¡±


    ¡°W-what?! I don¡¯t understand! What happened? Tell me-¡±


    ¡°Sachen, go away! You don¡¯t know how much I have to go through!¡± Neha cried again. ¡°My mom and dad, they¡¯re gone forever! It¡¯s all my fault! I should have done something, but I¡¯m so stupid!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yes I am!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Sachen grumbled, and she balled her hands into fists. ¡°It sounds like you want to keep hurting yourself.¡±


    ¡°Because I deserve it!¡± Neha settled from her crying. ¡°And now I think that I should go to the mission... I will prepare myself for the Leader. I believe it will help mend the pain.¡±


    ¡°Neha.¡± Sachen scraped her teeth. Her face turned red, and she walked upon the doorsteps. She thrust her nose close to Neha. ¡°You¡¯re just going to say that without knowing how much it¡¯ll hurt you? You are not like this. I beg you, calm down and come with me. I¡¯ll help you on whatever you want.¡±


    Neha shook her head. To be a burden to her friend would give anything but satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I cannot be with you. Do me a favor and leave me be.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious now?¡± Sachen asked. She kicked the door. ¡°Stop being a fool!¡±


    ¡°Go away! Get off of me!¡± Neha clicked her tongue, and she pushed Sachen¡¯s face away. She turned back to the door. As she was about to step into her house, her friend grabbed her body and dragged her to the cobblestone in front of them. Neha couldn¡¯t resist, for Sachen was too strong. By the time they were at the street, Sachen seethed. Veins bulged from her forehead and arms. Fire raged within her eyes. She looked as though she was going to explode. Calming her down was out of the option.


    It was then Sachen raised her hand. She swung it towards Neha, and slapped her. Neha¡¯s cheekbone popped. Snap, crack. In a matter of seconds a red mark burned upon her right cheek. The slap was so hard that Neha tumbled to the ground.


    Sachen, biting her lips, glared at Neha. ¡°I should have known you are feeling this way the whole time,¡± she said. ¡°And I can do nothing about it, right? You¡¯re the worst friend ever. So fine, I¡¯ll leave you alone. Is that what you want? Then so be it.¡±


    Sachen walked back and grimaced. Neha had no response. She was too terrified. This was the first time Neha had seen such a face from her, and it further ached her heart. What could have been averted from the start, the two girls would never take back their actions, and they would grieve over this squabble. Once the damage was done, sewing the gap between them was impossible.


    Sachen left with her remarks. Neha trembled. She resigned that this confrontation was inevitable, and once again she took all the blame. Saying sorry to herself a thousand times over, it seemed to be the only cure for her misery. She soon felt she would never escape from the spiral she had dropped herself into. After all, what hope was left within her? She had repelled her hope, her light in the darkness¡ªSachen¡ªfrom her side. From then on there was nobody in the world to rescue her, to comfort her among this dread. She was alone.


    Without the will to apologize to Sachen for everything, Neha slammed the door. Doom would arrive in no time.

 Chapter 37: Yebuka, The Lord of Lords

    Yebuka opened the door, and when he entered the other side, he dropped on his knees and kissed the ground. His knees and toes ached, and he felt a stabbing pain in his stomach. Quickly he stood. A few minutes ago he had traversed through the cave barefooted, which he found it exhausting, especially when he was hauling his orange and yellow robes. The weight of wearing such clothes, at any moment he could collapse. But he remained stalwart. In his mind it was his strength that led him to be present in this very place. To travel from the village alone all the way to the cave, it granted him a swelling throb in his chest.


    ¡°Blessed I am to be in this marvel,¡± he said. He opened his arms and embraced the warmth. The room was all white and pure. From standing near the door it was hard to tell how large or small this room was, and given the brightness of the color, the Leader merely made out the corners. Everywhere to his amazement, scribbles of animals livened the space, and they seemed to move on their own. The elephants looked curly, the canaries had sharp wings, and the ladybugs swirled across the floor with zig-zag lines at their ends. In countless numbers, these scribbles were signs from the heavens of good fortune, and that was what the High Order believed, for nobody knew who drew the wonders in here. What was more, there was not an established consensus on how this place came to be, or who built this. Let alone the legend in which the 4th Leader stumbled across the room after receiving a divine vision, the villagers would say that the gods once arrived on Earth and baptized the cave in hopes for their second return, to anoint the humans their destinies according to judgment. Whatever people believed in, it changed nothing of how simple and beautiful the whole thing was¡ªand how important this was to everybody.


    Yebuka placed his hands over his heart, gasping. He gazed at a sketch of a dragon beneath him. It spewed fire and turned it into a spiral. ¡°How many times must I enjoy looking at this? Have I become used to the captivation the heavens behold to us? The first time I was appointed as the Leader, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes that the room was real and complete. I didn¡¯t resist the infatuation I developed, and still it lingers. Never mind that.¡±


    The pain in his stomach returned again. At the spot he recalled the time where Azukunika attempted to kill him. Flaring eyes and rosy cheeks she had, the mere presence of her in his tent frightened him, to the point where he assumed he was going to die as a part of his destiny. He got off lucky, although he wouldn¡¯t call himself lucky since he received a wound, and it could have been fatal had his allies not came to his aid. From that night forth he cursed her, he loathed her existence, and he did the same to Ozughen¡¯s supporters. ¡°Those radicalist vermins, how much they wanted social reforms! Instability they sought, the devil¡¯s den they raised!¡± he remarked. In his sleep he frequented dreams where he¡¯d smite the foes with a longsword, cleaving them into chunks, throwing them in a ditch, not giving mercy. If only he could do that now he¡¯d be the happiest man in the world. But as of today he was more glad than ever. Before his trip, he received news from his companions, that the Azukunika¡¯s sentence would end not later than December, and in a couple of months she would have to kiss the world farewell. This alone thrilled the Leader¡ªhe desired to witness the final days of the so-called criminal.


    To relieve the ongoing ache, the Leader strolled and counted his steps. He reached to the middle of the room, and stopped. Around him, four marble pillars peaked to the zenith, and on the pillars¡¯ top laid bodhisattva figures. All of them had six arms, they wore prayer beads and crowns, showing themselves as the mighty gates to the heavens, and their eyes were filled with passion. A look at them would render one¡¯s mind to freeze. In the area the pillars were surrounding, which was called a sanctum, a set of overlapping circles brightened in their crimson color. Inside each of the circles, blood and hair strands patched and covered the animal scribbles, making a mess out of itself. It would be hard to clean it at this rate... and taking notice of the individual that was lying on the sanctum, the job would be excruciating.


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    The Leader¡¯s heart clamored. He blushed and sweated at the spectacle before him. The individual, Yebuka realized he was present all along. It happened to be the male candidate¡ªKuraizang, one of the youngest to have ever participated in the mission. In a black garment with gold stripes around the collar, one-piece, the boy was sleeping. His arms and legs, they revealed burn marks and small lacerations, a product of the gods¡¯ intervention and hard work to purify him. His mouth was open, allowing the Leader to hear his faint breathing. And the second the Leader noticed this, he balked, and for a few moments he struggled to breathe.


    ¡°I must not touch him. It is not permitted.¡± Then he regained his breath. He exchanged glances with the figures before drawing back his eyes to the boy. ¡°Only the candidates of the spiritual mission are allowed to lay here, for it is a requirement to clean their entire soul.¡± It had been a few weeks since Kuraizang started, and as of now his purification was almost complete. It was much speedier than expected, and for this to result in success, Yebuka saw that the gods were satisfied to have such a child under their wings. After all he was an exceptional student. Perfect marks, high standing at school, an achiever among his classmates. His being was an impeccable feast for the divine, they must have felt full by now. ¡°Fascinating that the boy survived after burdening himself through the process,¡± the Leader uttered. If he had died, Yebuka might have had to find another candidate, an arduous task.


    He bowed to the slumbering kid, before he returned to the door. Just before he opened it to get back to the cave, he slapped himself in the forehead. ¡°It is almost time. I should not delay it any longer. For the village might head for destruction, whether from the barbarians or from some disease, I should make haste. But no need to worry. It will be done without impediments.¡±


    Now and ever he was in high spirits¡ªnot about the matter of Kuraizang of course, but about Neha. ¡°That little girl, I need her!¡± He felt accomplished when he picked her as the female candidate from the very start. He knew she was perfect, and since she was docile and modest, it wouldn¡¯t cause any hassles for him. Staring at her face the first time in their meeting, it rang bells that she was suited to follow alongside Kuraizang. Not only that, he had cleared the obstacles associated with the girl, and it more than before liberated the leader from stress. Getting rid of her father, executing Usheniko, bringing her mother into insanity by Naransaya¡¯s help, Neha was alone, a circumstance that chanced on Yebuka¡¯s lap as advantageous. He never thought it¡¯d come this smoothly, though he once considered, from the riot at school, that the plan would never arrive in fruition. But he was amazed by how fierce the students were, how much Neha and Sachen carried on to the end. Their willingness to fight back further supported Neha as a favorite to the Leader.


    Thanks to the effort overall, he was ready to fulfill the other half in the spiritual mission the gods longed since the start of his reign. He held no regrets, no remorse that the two kids would experience suffering so long as they¡¯d live, for he believed this course of action would save them all¡ªfor it was the only way. No alternatives. Everybody loved him, so he could not falter, and he had to do what was just. Nothing would change his mind. Nothing.


    He twisted the knob, and accessing the cave again, he encountered a platoon of soldiers. He gave them orders. They would proceed at the end of the week.

 Chapter 38: Apex, Restless

    In the bleak afternoon, the flowers around Usheniko¡¯s mound wilted. Wind gusted over the soil and carried in its arms little seeds from a tulip nearby. The worms and the grasshoppers, they went away as soon as Sachen arrived, and Sachen, when she faced the mound, dropped herself to the ground. She had once again, got out of the re-education classes, which she found it daunting¡ªmore than ever her tote bag was filled with homework she expected not to finish. In the meantime she planned to tear all her papers up and scatter them to the grass¡ª doing her assignments was the last thing she desired to do. As for her classmates, they remained the same way. They continued the devotion to their zeal while Ms. Laozina kept encouraging them, and perhaps, they would be like this for the rest of the year.


    Sachen could stand it no longer. Her plan to rally up the school and fight against the High Order, it had failed the moment it started. She couldn¡¯t believe it at first. She thought with all her heart that they would win, that they would somehow crush the Holy Army and overthrow the current Leader. In every dreams from her, failure was the unexpected result, and for it to happen strayed her away from the further possibility of saving everybody. But what was the use if she couldn¡¯t think ahead of the consequences? What did it mean to save all? In light of this, Sachen banged her knuckles against the mound and dirtied her uniform.


    ¡°Usheniko, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a big failure. I wasn¡¯t able to help you, and now I don¡¯t know if I can do anything to change. I just want you to come back and save me... what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? Please Usheniko, answer!¡±


    She bit her lips and scratched her forehead. In a flash the image of Neha appeared, and at once her heart rumbled. She fell backwards to the cobblestone, soon widening her arms and legs, and she loomed her gaze over the wrinkled clouds. Her friend, the one she would spend time with every single day, was nowhere to be found. Sachen didn¡¯t see her at school, nor outside of her house. Every hour when Sachen looked at Neha¡¯s empty desk, she wondered if the latter would ever return¡ªespecially after their confrontation. It ached her hands just to remember the moment she slapped Neha, it ached her all over to see Neha wallowing in pain. Sachen knew she didn¡¯t mean to hurt her, and she wanted to apologize. But by now it seemed too late. Damages were done.


    Sachen covered her face, and she knocked her head on the mound. Second by second she begged for the gods¡¯ help. Of course, the heavens wouldn¡¯t respond to such a child like her. For she had caused trouble for her friend and for the school, help would never be on the way.


    She said sorry to Usheniko again. ¡°If only I were strong, I would have beat up Naransaya. She was the one who pretended to be your daughter. I felt so stupid not to realize it. How dare she did that!¡± She stomped, and rattled her hands when she recalled Naransaya¡¯s words in the midst of the school riot. ¡°I swear, she was the worst! She hurt Neha and me, and she killed you! How could I let go of her like this... I am so stupid, I am more stupid than Neha.¡±


    Once Sachen ran out of breath, she clasped both of her hands and prayed to Usheniko. Being done with that, she brought from her dress pocket the emerald necklace. ¡°You see this?¡± she asked herself. The chains were rusted, and the jewel was murky, losing its color. It was the only object Sachen embraced with warmth, and she tried so hard to not lose it. By now however, the warmth from the necklace had ceased to vanish. Sachen could only look at the emerald and whisper, ¡°What have I done to deserve it?¡± She put it back in her pocket.


    Sachen journeyed to the village center, then making her way to the western district. The air was heavy. She heaved her breath and felt a strain in her muscles. Everywhere people talked and pushed each other, thinning out the space for Sachen to run through. Their voices¡ªloud, lively, as if they didn¡¯t have a care in the world. And the autumn cold, it ran goosebumps through her skin, and at any rate she could fall into sickness. She quickened her pace. She didn¡¯t want to get scolded by her mother again for being out too much. Worse, her little brother could become annoyed, for he would not have any more time to play with her before supper.


    Sachen slowed down, and when she arrived in the neighborhood, she felt the air becoming heavier. She stopped. At this point she didn¡¯t know whether she was back to her house or not. As a matter of fact, she was clueless. The villagers here, who were once around the streets in the early afternoon, retreated into their abodes and locked the doors and windows. Some of them stared out the windows, with eyes like owls. The crickets and worms on the front lawns burrowed into the soil, frightened of Sachen¡¯s presence¡ªor they could be scared of something else. At the same time, shouts and curses echoed near Sachen¡¯s house, masculine voices they were. The girl couldn¡¯t make out what people were saying, but beyond her imagination she could think that a crime had occurred.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± she inquired herself. She hesitated to walk back to her home, for it could be that she would get caught up in another trouble. Unless she had an abundance of energy, today was not the day to do anything in particular. It¡¯d be better to not bother into the matter right now.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    But the voices never stopped. As Sachen stood there, thinking about what was going on, the voices took over her ears¡ªthey irritated her, they urged her to find out. Sachen rustled. ¡°Go away, go away!¡± She cupped her ears. Before she could say anything more, her feet moved on their own. Faster she breathed, violently her heart shook. Then as she knew it, without paying attention to her pace, she went to the area near her house. Once she was there, she walked a couple of steps back. She gasped, not understanding of what was transpiring at the moment.


    A group of soldiers gathered at Neha¡¯s house. They were in full armor. Smiles they had on their faces. The front door contained splinters and holes, the lock was broken. Footprints scattered throughout the footsteps, and the windows on the wall, they were nothing but shards. As of now, the soldiers wrangled Tulisen. They kicked him in the guts and shoved him to the cobblestone. Tulisen spewed blood. One of his back teeth was chipped. No mercy. The soldiers, when they dropped the guardian, howled at him for being a neglectful, mindless person. His face sweltered. He pushed his body away from the ground, and lurched his sights back to the door.


    Sachen retreated to the bushes, and overheard a brief conversation.


    Tulisen got up. His left foot was limp. ¡°What are you doing... why did you break into our house without a warrant?!¡±


    A burly soldier emerged from the group. ¡°Without a warrant? The Leader ordered for us to get her right away. Didn¡¯t you want her on that spiritual mission?¡±


    ¡°What? I do, but I never expect that you would send her to that god-awful place!¡±


    ¡°Then you should have listened to our Lord,¡± another soldier said. ¡°Regardless, resistance is futile. You must give her up, for you are no longer her guardian. If you try to fight back, you¡¯ll be out of the Holy Army for good.¡±


    ¡°No! Give her back, now!¡± Tulisen widened his shoulders. He burst in speed, and tackled the burly man. He elbowed his face and chest, and jostled for his firearm. Immediately the soldiers ganged up on the guardian, and they jabbed him with the barrel of their rifles. In no time Tulisen stumbled. He hit his head on the footsteps, and his forehead bled. He still retained his consciousness.


    ¡°It¡¯d be wise if you don¡¯t do anything!¡± said one soldier. ¡°Stay put and let the magic happen!¡±


    ¡°Why, you monsters-¡±


    ¡°Monsters?¡± the burly troop uttered. ¡°We are only doing our job. After we had returned home from the front lines, after the Leader gave us the task of retrieving the girl, you have the galls to call us that? Pathetic. I expected too much of an esteemed person in his position like you, but sadly, you disappoint me.¡±


    Tulisen growled. He got off the ground again and grabbed the man by his breastplate. ¡°As a person of higher rank than you all, I demand you bring her back home! She should not be there! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll tell-¡±


    Another soldier shrugged and smirked. ¡°Who will you tell?¡± Everybody laughed at his inquiry. ¡°The Leader has planned this all along, so why do you have to get yourself so worked up?¡±


    The burly man gagged. ¡°Let us go everybody. The man should continue wasting his time. It won¡¯t matter, for the world will be blessed by the candidates in the cave!¡± He rallied his comrades, and once he punched Tulisen in the chest, they left the neighborhood.


    Tulisen coughed. Blood flooded his face. He crawled upon the footsteps, and planted his forehead on the living room floor. Nothing else left for him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Neha... that I couldn¡¯t protect you. I was a fool all along. I should have not yelled at you like that.¡±


    He closed the door, and soon he turned motionless. No breath. No chance of recovery. Sachen, hearing his words, sprang from the bushes and shook herself. What she had thought of the conversation, the only thing she could tell was that something terrible was about to happen. All too well, now she understood the situation¡ªfor better or worse, now she realized the consequences. She blamed herself for coming too late, and for not helping Tulisen get out of the beatdown. But what could she have done had she came here earlier?


    She glanced at her friend¡¯s house, then she looked to her side, then she looked at the bushes. Her knees locked onto each other. Her chest stung. At this time it would have been a no-brainer for Sachen to tail the soldiers, but fear blazed through her like wildfire. She didn¡¯t know what to do at first. Neha, she was far away, and most likely Sachen wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to the soldiers. Tulisen, he was hurt, his blood began to stream to the footsteps. Two problems at once, it was difficult to tackle, especially for a young girl. She could do one thing, but by that it would mean she had to sacrifice the other, and she would feel guilty regardless.


    ¡°How, how?!¡± Sachen messed with her hair, and she pulled so much of her hair that she was close to collapsing under pressure. ¡°I hurt Neha, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t help her. But she¡¯s in trouble. But Tulisen is in bad shape too! I don¡¯t know...¡±


    The sun, once at its peak, was setting itself in the horizon. The bugs went silent, and they ceased to move all together. Sachen paced in circles, and she thought to herself again of her friend¡ªand right away, something struck her like a thunderbolt. Never until this moment did she fathom that there was indeed a small chance to turn things around. ¡°If Usheniko is looking over me, then she must be giving her blessing. Luck!¡± She decided that if she had enough time, she could save Neha from the possible ravages of the High Order, and she could return to the house and aid Tulisen. Solving two problems in one day, it seemed viable. Sachen believed she was capable, even if she had to do it alone.


    Sachen locked in her choice. It was now or never to act. She faced the street ahead of her, and took off. Neha could be anywhere, but from the last words of the soldier, Sachen knew one place where her friend would arrive to. She would not hesitate.

 Chapter 39: Wandering in the Deep

    ¡°I cannot let them hurt her!¡± Sachen passed through the village center again, seeing the same people, ignoring them. She pushed her classmates aside, and they started to throw things at the girl. She continued moving without feeling a waste of energy. Then she arrived at the eastern gates, where the guards huddled to the doors and drew their guns towards the girl, and they warned her not to go any further. Sachen spat at their faces. Not willing to let them push her away, Sachen charged, and she muscled through the gap between the guards. One of them grabbed her dress. Sachen headbutted him, and he went dizzy. A small score of victory. Right after she brisked through to the other side, and the guards, in frustration, beat each other up.


    The girl soon headed into the forest. Still with energy she ran, and she tossed away the branches and leaves that kept coming in her way. It was then she encountered the river, and she rolled up her dress and sleeves. She lumbered through the water, her nerves shriveling from the cold, her toes were freezing. She hopped to the other side, and knowing there was little time left, Sachen went quick as ever. The matter of hope and luck she began to carry, she anticipated she would get to Neha before nightfall.


    Nearby there was a row of bushes and the cave. Sachen halted, she dipped into the foliage. The mouth of the cave, as it was before, it emitted an eerie vibe. On the spot Sachen couldn¡¯t bring herself to enter into the place, for it seemed the authorities were present to guard the opening. One more step, she could be sent back to her house. And to make herself feel doubtful, what lingered inside the cave was entirely a mystery. Excluding the High Order, nobody knew as to what lied beyond there. Sachen only heard the stories about the wanderers stumbling into the cave by accident, and their fates ranged from decapitation to being consumed by monsters, horrible enough to act as a deterrent so that people wouldn¡¯t come. Of course, Sachen had no need to wallow into the stories. Moreover, people talked about it so many times that it failed to frighten her, and she could conclude that the fates were anything but the truth.


    In a few minutes of replenishing her energy, Sachen entered through the cave¡¯s entrance. It was dark, lifeless. Immediately the damp air moistened her nostrils, and the darkness devoured her presence. She walked further and further into the cave, not having expectations on what was about to come forth to her. It was as though she had, for the temporary, let go of her fear.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be for long. Sachen continued, and then she noticed that something bitter, something artificial, smelled. It wasn¡¯t anything she recognized. More so, the smell was so pungent that she leaned to the side, pinching her nose. ¡°What is this?¡° Sachen removed herself from the side, and without thinking, she stepped onto something... wet. It burned the calluses on her feet.


    She jumped back, and touched the substance upon her toes. The same odor. No color. ¡°Yuck!¡° She wagged both her legs, before she crept to the side again and moved forward, managing to avoid the substance. God only knew what she encountered. To be hopeful, she said to herself she wouldn¡¯t meet it again.


    Now after a long time she was in the bowels of the cave. Still it was full of darkness, and the artificial smell was absent¡ªa charred, burnt scent replaced it. Along her path there lingered objects of the unknown, they were brittle and fleshy. Almost slipping on one of the objects, Sachen picked it up. ¡°What¡¯s in the world? Are these bones? What are they doing here? This is getting weird.¡° She dropped the so-called bone, and then wondered of how the High Order would be willing to do their activities in such a place like this. They could have found a more suitable area, but it made sense for them to reside here, since nobody could disturb them. Regardless, the cave itself started to make Sachen feel a bit of unease.


    As the girl picked up the pace, tongues of flames brightened the path before her eyes, and a row of torches from both sides hung idle. Below each of the torches was a skull and a pair of bones, the bones fixated in a cross. The skulls sparkled, having no blemishes, holes, or spots, and they stared at Sachen with their hollow sockets. Under the illumination, the skulls¡¯ mouths seemed to be moving up and down, as if they were chattering about the arrival of the young girl. Sachen exchanged glances with the objects¡ªof whom they could belong to? Name tags or indications of their identities, they were nonexistent. She believed these remains might have to do with the candidates who had participated in the spiritual mission under many Leaders. The candidates, people who might or might not be forced to go, must have suffered to the point of never-ending agony. Horrifying if it was true, and she thought it was better not to know further. She shifted her glance to her feet and resumed walking.


    The cave became wider. More torches appeared, and the smoke overmastered the dampness. Sachen hugged herself as she went, avoiding the bones and the puddles of the mysterious liquid, trying hard to focus on the darkness ahead of her. She coughed when she dragged her face too close to the flames. Her mouth turned dry, she could barely breathe. Swallowing so much of her saliva seemed to do the trick, but the dryness never ceased. It was only a matter of time before she might fall into exhaustion, for it seemed that the path would go on forever¡ªperhaps it¡¯d take the whole night to find something significant.


    ¡°How long do I have to walk? And it¡¯s getting very cold-¡± Sachen stopped. Time froze. The flames blinded her, and for a moment she saw stars and floaters. When she regained her vision, she rubbed her eyes, and becoming dizzy, she breathed deeply in an attempt to grant herself a room to relax. She soon moved again. One step, two steps forward. But it was not more than that when the girl vaulted back, frightened. Her ears opened. Somebody screamed.


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    The scream vibrated the skulls and the pebbles and the puddles. It traveled all the way to the cave¡¯s entrance. The tendrils of the sound drilled through Sachen¡¯s ears, causing her to hear a ringing noise, and only for a few seconds did she experience the unpleasant sensation. Once the scream quivered, Sachen sprang.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! I must hurry!¡± She kicked her heels, and amidst the heat of the flames beginning to boil up the area, she ran a marathon through the passage. To find where, and whose scream was that, couldn¡¯t be important enough. She would have guessed that the sound was a hallucination, but since it had occurred, no doubt she knew it had originated from a person, maybe a prisoner or an injured parent. Whomever it might be, Sachen had to know.


    When Sachen gasped for breath, she slowed down. Then her eyes wandered, and she soon found herself in a place where it looked empty. There was a circle of torches, they surrounded and revealed something that was on the floor. Nothing quite like this she had encountered. Sachen focused on the floor, seeing a blood-stained circle with a four-pointed star inside of it. Around the outside area of the circle, skeletons of hands and feet protruded on the surface, all the hands held a vial of the bitter, clear liquid. Out of curiosity Sachen slewed her fingers through the circle¡¯s substance, and she assumed it came from berry extracts. But one whiff of it, she almost vomited.


    ¡°W-why does it smell like blood?¡± She drew herself back. She wiped the substance on her dress. Looking more into this room¡¯s layout, the shapes on the floor twinkled, as though the heavens had blessed it a long time ago by their cosmic power. On the walls, handprints coated the rocks and jags, they were made of ashes. Right across from Sachen, a door stood shut and still; above the door, a window was present, and it seemed to reveal the outside world. But plastering the window seemed to be an illustration. The clouds fuzzed, the birds were a set of lines, and the flowers had a happy face on the petals, making the impression that the other side of the door was not the place Sachen expected it to be.


    Still astounded, Sachen lifted her sights. Upon the ceiling adhered a metal bar, and the bar had a line of chains. There were four chains to be exact. All of them were inert¡ªexcept one. The chain with the rust and blood, it shook back and forth.


    At the point where she noticed it, Sachen pushed herself to the wall. She traced the moving chain, and returned to the symbol on the floor. The chain extended to the far-left corner of the room... and the second Sachen¡¯s eyes reached its origin, a blood-curdling shriek rippled. Once again the din circulated the entire cave.


    Dragging her body, Sachen tip-toed to the origin. She lowered herself, her face was soaked with sweat. She looked at the person that was in the corner, and she was too surprised to utter a remark. The individual, a boy, moved only an inch away from the corner. His limbs were covered in blood, and his cheeks had countless lacerations. His rib cage jutted out like a bird¡¯s talons, and his stomach wrinkled, deprived of satiation. Nowhere around him indicated that he had hurt himself. He was in terrible pain, for every time his skin touched the wall or floor, he would scream again. There was nothing in Sachen¡¯s mind that made her second-guess that she could mistake this for someone else, but it was clear he was the person Sachen had been looking for so long.


    He clung onto the chain, and when he exchanged eye contact with Sachen, he rattled. His eyes flashed before haze overtook his pupils. He raised his head and revealed a scar on his throat. Sachen shed tears.


    ¡°Kuraizang! Kuraizang! Oh my God! Stay with me please!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe he was here. Let alone Sachen¡¯s surprise, why did nobody bother to check on him? Why didn¡¯t the Young Guards inquire about his whereabouts? It was alarming. For the school, his classmates, and also his family to not care, or seem to not care, it was beyond belief that this boy was condemned to this deep part of the cave, all alone without food, comfort, and company. It came then to Sachen¡¯s epiphany that the High Order took things too far¡ªbut nobody condemned it, nor did they protest the matter in the first place. How little to naught the village worried for the kid. And now that she witnessed Kuraizang¡¯s pain, Sachen had nothing to relieve her anxiety, to somehow stomach this situation. Could this be what the mission involved the entire time? If it indeed contained so much harm and cruelty, she would never tolerate it, and she reserved no exceptions in this display of horror, the madness that reigned.


    At this very moment, in the wake of Kuraizang¡¯s suffering, the opportunity granted Sachen to save him. There was nothing else here that could further raise questions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m going to set you free!¡± She grabbed the chain. She yanked and twisted it, and she even smashed it with her kneecaps. No use. The chain, although it looked as though it was going to fall apart, remained sturdy, out of reach from what strength the girl had. Yet she persisted. She started to pull the chain apart, hoping that in a miracle she could rip it. At the same time, Kuraizang pointed to the star symbol and rolled his eyes backwards. He motioned his lips.


    ¡°The righteous shall inherit the earth, and all the beauty and grace before it, and the Dove shall bless us with salvation, forever to come, forever to cherish¡­¡°


    ¡°What? Please don¡¯t talk for now!¡± Sachen tugged the entire chain, attempting to get Kuraizang to the center of the area. In turn, the boy dug his nails on the soil and stuck himself in the corner. He continued to speak as though he had all the time in the world.


    ¡°The righteous shall inherit the earth, and all the beauty and grace before it, and the Dove shall bless us with salvation, forever to come, forever to cherish, forever to come, forever to cherish, forever to come, forever to cherish...¡±

 Chapter 40: The End of Their World

    Kuraizang repeated the mantra over and over until Sachen grew tired. She released her grip from the chain, finding now that the boy would not budge. She gritted her teeth and threw pebbles on the wall. ¡°Kuraizang, don¡¯t be like this!¡± she said. She turned back to him, who by now, was out of his mind. It was to this point that the girl understood she couldn¡¯t convince him in any way to escape. It further boggled her upon a realization of whether Kuraizang had a desire to leave or not, for, if anything else, he must have endured so much torture that dispossessed his consciousness of his will. Was it because he began to believe the High Order¡¯s intentions and was eager to sacrifice himself? Then indeed if so, there was no chance of him returning to his former state. Sachen feared he could be like this forever, and therefore, she had no hopes in getting him back to normal.


    She tried again to break him free from the chain, and this time she managed to pull him a couple of inches. But it wasn¡¯t long before the door to the other side opened, and Sachen, now scared in uncertainty, threw herself to the wall once more. There, from the door, someone¡ªin fact, a group of people¡ªappeared. Emerging from the group was nobody else than him. The one Sachen despised from the day he encountered, he showed himself with a smile that could soon become permanent, engraved in Sachen¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Greetings little one. I should not say that in the first place since you are here all the sudden. Well, it¡¯s not a problem, so long as you don¡¯t cause anymore trouble¡ªlike what you did at the school.¡±


    Sachen tightened her fists. She stared daggers at him. ¡°How dare you, you phony Leader! Why are you hurting Neha?! Give her back, now!¡±


    Yebuka squinted at the soldiers behind him. He then returned his gaze to the girl. ¡°Oh? After all my time rambling and preaching to the whole village, you still have the courage to stand against me?¡±


    ¡°What else? You guys are evil! It¡¯s not good to hurt and kill innocent people!¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°The spiritual mission will go unhampered. The gods are asking for it. It is the right way to save the village, and if we don¡¯t satisfy them, who knows what will happen?¡± He winked at somebody. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Naransaya?¡±


    Another voice emerged. ¡°Yes... you are most certainly right.¡± It was then Naransaya also revealed herself. As always she wore the same clothes, the same grin. She brushed Sachen¡¯s hair, and the latter slapped her shoulders. ¡°Are you scared of me? You shouldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re a strong girl, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Sachen said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    ¡°Too late.¡± Naransaya prodded her elbow to the Leader¡¯s arm, and she clicked her teeth. ¡°Thanks a lot for helping me this entire time. And I¡¯m able to procure my rewards, so I can take a nice, relaxing vacation to the prison island. What do you say to that?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, whatever you wish for, according to your desires,¡± Yebuka replied. ¡°You have already paid your debt by joining my side. Good thing you led that witch to her death, and with Azukunika¡¯s pending execution, the Ganshipe bloodline will be but naught.¡±


    ¡°Cheers to that!¡± Naransaya giggled, and she leered at Sachen. ¡°I know you want to meet your little buddy. So guys-¡± she faced the soldiers, who were trembling from her presence, ¡°-bring her out!¡±


    They nodded. They separated into two parts, and brought forth from the rear, the girl that was due to be the female candidate. Neha was here. She was in a pair of handcuffs, and her face birthed despair. She stared aimlessly at the torches, and as she diverted her attention to Sachen, she sobbed and sobbed. Once the girls locked sight onto each other, Sachen shivered. She also cried. At first she was too afraid to come forward and grab Neha¡¯s hands. The anxiety of meeting her friend again after a while surged, and it became too much to bear. How did it come to this, that the two of them were here in the worst place possible?


    Neha mewled, and she rustled the handcuffs. ¡°S-Sachen, I thought I told you to leave me alone.¡±


    Sachen shook her head. ¡°You did, but I couldn¡¯t accept it. Why in the world would I do that anyway? You¡¯re still my friend!¡±


    ¡°But I hurt you, I said bad things... I deserve this, because I am a terrible girl-¡±


    ¡°No excuses.¡± Sachen approached Neha, and hugged her. Her tears soaked Neha¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot, am I? I¡¯m sorry for slapping you and yelling at you. I didn¡¯t mean it, really. I didn¡¯t know you were in so much pain.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize,¡± Neha said. ¡°I was in the wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have acted like that. I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    Sachen laughed, and she blushed. She let go of Neha. ¡°I guess we¡¯re idiots. Both of us should be responsible for our mistakes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± Neha turned her face, and presented a burn mark on her cheek. ¡°If you want, you can slap me. It¡¯s a way for you to get payback.¡±


    ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t dare. You¡¯d cry more than me.¡±


    ¡°No. I would endure the slap.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Because you¡¯re my best friend, so what you would do, it would hurt only me.¡±


    ¡°Neha... I just can¡¯t. It would make me look more like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to. I have burdened you a lot after all, so I don¡¯t expect you to do anything back to me.¡±


    Neha fell quiet. For the second time, Sachen hugged her. Once and for all the troubles they had been through, Sachen could say this situation was the most problematic. Although she apologized for what she did, she barely came to terms with her actions, and the shame of saying sorry, she felt she would carry such shame for the rest of her life. Yes, it would have been horrible had she not spoke out. She would have left herself hanging with regrets. Regardless in the long run, starting from here, the instance of her apology gave her euphoria, so powerful was the feeling that Sachen forgot she was even in the cave. In this moment, where there was silence from everybody, she poured all her love and forgiveness to her friend. Neha did the same. Simple, yet so heart-touching. The two of them would not trade this sentiment for anything more, and even if they were to be in a confrontation again, in the end they would still forgive. This feeling however, would become transient.


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    Sachen loosened the embrace, and she held Neha¡¯s hands. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you out of here, along with Kuraizang. You don¡¯t want Tulisen to worry about you-¡±


    Naransaya stepped in, and cracking her knuckles, she shoved Sachen to the floor. Sachen gasped.


    ¡°Enough with the mushy stuff,¡± said the woman. She glanced at Yebuka. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it. You don¡¯t wish to see the village being destroyed, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Still holding his smile, Yebuka lurched his face close to Neha. The latter squirmed, and she turned beet red. The Leader snapped his fingers, and from that signal, the soldiers snagged Neha by her wrists and threw her to the door. Neha extended her arms, and she wailed for help.


    ¡°Neha! No!¡± Sachen propelled to the soldiers, reaching for her friend, trying to rescue her from all of this madness. At the instant when she clamped her fingers on the handcuffs, she exerted every last effort to pull Neha back to her side. In response, the group latched onto the girl. They heaved, and the veins on their muscles protruded, and they were hoisting her so hard that Neha bellowed as loud as Kuraizang. In no time did of the soldiers pluck Sachen¡¯s fingers off the handcuffs. It grazed her skin, and her hands burned. She almost let herself go, the agony was intolerable. Sachen persisted, and she managed to maintain her grip, and she spent her remaining strength. One slip-up, she would lose her friend¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to lose her again.


    But the resistance was futile. The burly soldier, who was standing and watching the scene since the beginning, cut into the group. He twiddled the feather on his helmet. From ear to ear he grinned. When his comrades became too lethargic, which was shocking to Naransaya, the man swiped his fist into the air and knocked down Sachen¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Without having the time to resist, Sachen loosened, and she stumbled away. Her hands throbbed, her heart accelerated. By the moment she got up with a bit of energy left, the soldiers snatched Neha and hauled her on the top of their heads. The next thing that happened, they went through the door.


    ¡°Neha! No, no! Don¡¯t take her! Stop!¡±


    Her friend flailed her hands. She grabbed onto the door, but the opportunity to slip off was gone. ¡°Sachen! I don¡¯t want to go! Save me-¡±


    Before Neha could say anymore, the soldiers transported her to the other side. It was over. Once the door slammed shut, there was no more chance, no hope, no luck¡ªall which hung onto Sachen had dissipated into nothingness. Resistance, what more could she fight for?


    Sachen dropped on her knees. Her hands convulsed, her heart snapped in half. Soon she cried and cried. ¡°Neha! Come back! I¡¯m sorry!¡± she shouted, but her voice could no longer reach her. Everything began to turn dim.


    Now she could not deny that she was apart from her companion¡ªforever and ever until death. By all accounts this separation became the worst outcome imaginable, and for these two girls to experience it, reality held no reservations for mercy. Sachen could again beg to the gods or Usheniko to save the one she adored, the one who had been with her for most of her life, and she¡¯d be willing to forfeit all things valuable. But she knew it was a fruitless proposition. If nothing more, she deemed this a nightmare that came true, and she wished, if it was so, to wake up from the misery she and her friend had put themselves in. However it might be, the result was gifted to the High Order from the very start, so the urge to fight them again would prove only the girl¡¯s foolhardiness.


    Soon this nightmare would come to pass. It would be over before Sachen could condemn herself. Never more, never more.


    ¡°I want her back! I want her back! I¡¯ll hand over everything I have, just for her! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Sachen¡¯s voice broke. No longer she could talk in the looming anguish. Her strength had vanished. She fell next to the skeletons¡¯ arms, and the vial rolled to Naransaya. Her emerald necklace, it shattered.


    Yebuka glowered at the girl. He chortled, and in no regards to her whatsoever, he beat his chest with his hands.


    ¡°Rejoice. Now that we have Kuraizang and Neha, the village will be in a long era of prosperity and peace. Don¡¯t you worry little girl, Neha isn¡¯t going to die¡ªright? She will end up like Kuraizang. Through the process they will sing hymns, sacrifice a bit of blood, dance with the monks, and best of all, concede their power to the heavens. Soon she will realize her purpose. This way, nobody will die, nobody will suffer any longer. For it to be in our favor is truly auspicious. We will maximize the happiness of all. And don¡¯t you say, if you are capable of speaking, that we should give up on the endeavor and find some other way. Because there is no other way.¡±


    Sachen brought back her head. She drew the last of her breath for now. ¡°No... don¡¯t kill her...¡±


    Wagging his finger, Yebuka stepped back. He latched his hand on the doorknob. ¡°Perhaps these things are too hard for you to understand, but indeed, you are dim. From your charades and shenanigans with Neha, you have known the things you shouldn¡¯t have known. You have contributed nothing but disorder upon yourself and your friend. How shameful and utterly reckless. Naransaya, do what needs to be done to this girl. We must wipe her slate clean.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Naransaya said. Yebuka departed to the sanctum. The woman turned to the girl, and summoning a cloth from her pocket, she broke the vial and smothered the liquid onto the fabric. She then buried the cloth on Sachen¡¯s mouth and nose. Glitters and comets flashed the girl¡¯s eyes. The illumination from the flames dwindled. Her face paled¡ªshe collapsed into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 41: Forevermore

    ¡°Let it be known


    that the righteous and beautiful


    shall attain the glory of the heavens


    Let it be known


    that everyone will come to paradise


    lest they forget their faith at hand


    In the holiness which bears the leader fruit


    all will sanction


    nothing but eternal bliss


    Above the earth and under the stars


    thou stand before the great, the mighty


    and thou shall be one with them.¡±


    ***


    The gods had granted the wishes of the people. From the spiritual mission alone, they had become satisfied, and they held no more the anger and qualms upon the village. Thus once again the heavens settled into tranquility. On a good note, the war ended, in which the village attained victory after victory against the barbarians throughout the frontiers, and the latter were forced to sign a treaty relinquishing their resources and weapons. The barbarians were no more. Done and dusted, they would only exist in the history books. In addition, the economy boomed, and thanks to the newfound prosperity from mining minerals and gems, nobody was poor, and everybody became rich. From here all that followed turned into a new era of peace¡ªthe villagers rejoiced. Not a while ago, the High Order held a rally in celebration for such successes, and the people cried and bowed down to the Leader as he went through a procession, his palanquin being glittered with gold and good luck charms. Hysteria stampeded the event, but it never failed to make him smile. He said to everybody that from the mission¡¯s candidates being remarkable so far, the heavens would now bless the village with salvation for a thousand years. The people applauded, more then ever did they fuel their fanaticism. They considered this time to be the most spectacular moment in history¡ªand soon Yebuka would be immortalized as the greatest ruler to have ever reigned the village.


    A day after, Sachen and her family hung out at a local lodging in the mountains. From the balcony, they eyed on the wonders of nature beyond them. The hills sloped and flowed over the landscape, and the flowers painted over them with their colors. The fragrance of the petals stirred the air, the noses of Datai, Saraji, and Monkhuba tingled. A flock of doves swooped down to the mountains and hunted for some seeds. A breeze coursed through the sky, and it made its way to the family. They soothed their breaths and slumped on their chairs.


    A waitress coming to the balcony, she then served the family a stack of pancakes and other cuisines. Monkhuba, sitting next to his sister, clapped his hands and giggled. The pancakes jiggled on his plate.


    ¡°Happy fourth birthday Monkhuba!¡± Saraji pinched her son¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that you get to come here and enjoy the scenic view? It¡¯s all thanks to your daddy right here!¡±


    ¡°Hey hey, I spent my hard-earned money to stay at this lodging for three days, for our little boy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! And also, we have to wait until next year when he reaches five years old, so that we can enroll him in kindergarten.¡±


    ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t think we need to worry about that right now. Let¡¯s have a good time.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, you are right. I am thinking too much about it. Monkhuba! Eat properly, you¡¯re getting syrup on your clothes.¡± Saraji snatched a napkin from the side and swabbed the kid¡¯s mouth. She began to eat her chicken salad. ¡°Sachen, are you happy that your brother is growing up? Soon, he will be a healthy, strong boy. He has not been sick lately, so that¡¯s a good sign.¡±


    Sachen leaned her arm against the balcony railing. Her heartbeat submerged into murmurs, and everything in her head transformed into fleeting bubbles. Her mother repeated herself again and again. Monkhuba nudged her elbow, and her sister leapt a little. She turned to her parents.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong little dear?¡± Datai asked, his legs were shaking. ¡±Something has been on your mind? Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been staying too long at school. I believe that the classes are taking a toll on the kids¡¯ health. Have you seen the students Saraji? Their eyes look weary, and they look like their limbs are about to fall apart.¡±


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    Saraji grinned. ¡°Well at least they¡¯re studying hard. Due to the fact that a lot of students had caused an absolute riot a while ago, it is perfectly right for them to attend the re-education classes, so that they will start to learn what is correct.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree to that. But Sachen, if you are studying too much, lay off the pressure. There¡¯s no need to cram the books and papers into your brain. Besides, the grades in that type of class don¡¯t count. I presume you are just there to learn about the righteousness and virtue of history and the High Order.¡±


    Sachen rolled her eyes, she plucked her fork and stabbed the pancakes in front of her. A goo of sugar and egg yolk liquidated throughout the porcelain dish. She looked at her brother, and Monkhuba curled his fingers around his sister¡¯s sleeve and called out her name. She smiled for a moment¡ªthen her lips regressed into a frown. She leaned over to Monkhuba.


    Her brother rolled his tongue, he slapped his palms on the table.


    ¡°What is it? You haven¡¯t finished your pancakes halfway. I can¡¯t possibly do that. It¡¯s your birthday today, eat all you want.¡± Sachen patted Monkhuba¡¯s head. He resumed making a mess of himself.


    Datai cleaned his fingers and sighed. He let out a burp, and in turn, Saraji flicked the back of his head. ¡°After we¡¯re finished,¡± he said, ¡°do you want to watch the stars together from the hills? I heard that there will be a meteor shower.¡±


    Saraji¡¯s eyes shimmered. ¡°A meteor shower? That¡¯d be fantastic! Oh, we haven¡¯t seen one in a long time honey. The last time¡­ I think it was ten years ago, when we were starting off as newlyweds. We were dancing under the meteor shower, and as funny as you are, you proposed that we should build a ship so that we can fly alongside the meteors.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I said that? Sounds embarrassing if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so at all. But anyways, I am looking forward to seeing it. You kids, make sure to stay up late, because we¡¯re going to roam about the hills and find the highest spot. The balcony, the lodging for that matter, is not high enough. I want to experience the sightseeing, just the four of us.¡±


    Monkhuba laughed, he babbled something about building a ship with wings in order to take his family throughout the trail of stars and galaxies. Datai and Saraji cheered and clapped for him, the latter said that it might be possible. They then returned to their meals. When they finished, the waitress pinned them a bill; Datai choked on his water from the triple digits.


    The flowers spread their specks of pollen, they glittered the landscape in a yellow fuzz. The birds soared and set their course on the horizon, and they cawed, the view couldn¡¯t get anymore better. But Sachen held eyes of glass¡ªdespair had wiped her away of everything she had fought for. She ran her hand along her chest, and the chills grew large as ever in her heart. From that fateful day, which she had no recollection of the ordeal and the aftermath, she only remembered that she was taken back to her parents, and the authorities said she was wandering about the forest alone. Supposedly it took them the entire night to find her, and they ¡°ended up¡± seeing her sleeping in a ditch, marked by skeletons and dead cicadas. Her parents did not scold her however, as they seemed to be jubilant. So Sachen escaped from the possibility of being punished¡ªit didn¡¯t change the fact however, that she felt guilt for worrying them.


    The bubbles in Sachen¡¯s mind popped and sizzled into a cloud of fog. Her memories of recent times evaporated, those painful and blissful ones with the person she had cherished all her life until now. Nevermore would she cradle the warmth she once received from the one she loved the most.


    THE END

 Authors Note: Reflection

    Hello readers, this is the author of The Happy Village, and I want to thank you guys again for reading. It has been a pleasure to write, and while I can say it¡¯s not the most spectacular novel in the world, I¡¯m glad to have enjoyed the process. I know this story may not be popular in a website like Royal Road, but hey, where else can I share it?


    Honestly it took me seven months to make the novel in its final form, which consumed a lot of my free time. In the first draft I wrote as much as I could, as fast as lightning, without holding high expectations for it. I didn¡¯t worry at all about the grammar, characterization, pacing, and so forth, and I just let it all out. It was when I started the second and third draft that I decided I had to evaluate the entire story. Nothing comes perfect the first time you put something on paper. I was frustrated with the finished product of the first draft, and I initially thought it would turn to be a huge failure¡ªbut that frustration inspired me to push forward.


    I made a detailed outline, followed through it many times, and rewrote the entire novel. It was hard work. With rewriting, I removed the unnecessary parts in regards to description and dialogue, added a few new chapters to better reflect the narative, and fixed the sentence structure. Still it wasn¡¯t enough, so I pulled onwards to the fourth and fifth draft, further refining the piece before I was ready to submit it to this website. Laborious, but it paid off well, and for sure it was worth my time.


    You might ask, what¡¯s your motivation to write the story? Well to be honest, I had no idea at first, and my mind wandered back and forth. I tried very hard to come up with something. I hopped from the idea of low fantasy to science fiction, and as they were the most obvious considerations I took them into heart. But in understanding that such genres are complex and require a lot of knowledge, it would be hard to revolve The Happy Village around the basis of spaceships, dragons, or an alien invasion. So I chose to go for the tragedy and slice-of-life route.


    The circumstance that led to the creation might be weird to many. Last year when I browsed Twitter, I stumbled upon an illustration, a sullen one that captivated my eyes. That illustration was made by an artist named Kobuta (all credits to him): it is the one that is the main cover of this book. In it, as a short-haired girl is about to break into tears, the long-haired one comforts her, and they seem to be in a forest or a marsh. Just with their downtrodden faces alone, it broke my heart, and I sympathized with the girls in the illustration even if it didn¡¯t clearly show a theme. It made me think, ¡°Wow, this is such a compelling artwork. Can I make a story out of this?¡± That was when a light bulb appeared from the top of my head, and I began to ponder about it for weeks. Right after, something clicked in my mind¡ªfrom there, I got myself to work. And behold, the novel was born.


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    If you have read the last five chapters, you might be either sad or discontented. It¡¯s okay to react that way, and for me, I struggle the most when it comes to nailing resolutions. Originally, I didn¡¯t know what to do with the ending; I had planned to write an additional chapter where Naransaya saves Sachen and Neha, sends them to another village, and offers herself to be the female candidate to the spiritual mission. But it wasn¡¯t so. In the first place I rushed Naransaya¡¯s development, and she became a two-dimensional person, thus she has no influence in changing the outcome. In my opinion she¡¯s a weak link, a subordinate to Yebuka''s scheme. But at least she gets the result she want. Second, since this story has a tragedy genre tagged to it, there is bound to be heartbreak and defeat for the protagonists. No matter how much they fight against the High Order, everything falls apart in the end, and they are left with nothing but despair. It¡¯s a reality to many people in our world; their efforts come to naught, simply because they are unlucky or that people keep putting them down.


    There are no plans for a sequel. The notion of making a sequel has bothered me for a long time, and I understand if you guys want more to the story. But I discarded it. I have a few reasons, but I don¡¯t want to pinpoint everything and go into great lengths. One reason is that the sequel can serve as a game changer to the sypnosis in a bad way. In the beginning, I had thought of making Azukunika the protagonist, in which she breaks out of prison and gathers an army from the barbarians to destroy the village once and for all. Then she learns more about the civil war, Neha and Sachen, and her family¡¯s background in occult stuff. Just imagine if Naransaya and Azukunika have a showdown, the latter would be confused by her doppleganger! It sounded awesome in my head, but I realized it wouldn¡¯t fit well in the atmosphere and emotions of the narrative. If such events happen, the storyline would lose the original themes of grief, longing, and anguish, and the themes would become a different mold. The events would drag things on and act as a feels-good resolution to the audience. For the girls to be saved by a miracle, let alone Azukunika, might be a deus ex machina. In truth, I fancy to write ambiguous, pessimistic endings. I believe it¡¯s better to leave The Happy Village in a sad note, and to give closures to Neha and Sachen.


    Once again I like to thank you all. I hope by the time you finish reading this author¡¯s note, you¡¯ll share the novel with other people and talk about it. If you have any questions on the subject of the story, the narrative, or anything, feel free to PM me. Also, if you have the opportunity, you can leave comments to the chapters or write an overall review. I¡¯d be happy to read them.


    Otherwise I wish you the best. Au revoir, and until then.