Just Some Loops: Thank you for your comments on my story's chapters. I love them and hope for them to continue coming. :) Also, like always, I hope that you will like this story. I've been working it for a while, but only recently managed to get it finished. Real life around me is sometimes very busy. Thank you for your patience and enjoy.
I watched at the back of the man who kept having a grip on the end of the rope around my neck. For the first time, I truly felt like an animal, a dog that was being dragged around the town in front of everyone. It made me wonder what real pets really felt like in a leash and if they were even bothered by the humiliation that I was experiencing. My face was burning every time I imagined myself with dog ears or tail and looked around the place, not daring to meet other people's eyes. Though, they seemed to be too busy with their lives to care about a mere slave woman.
However, what made the emotions inside of me dull was the way the golden haired man kept asking, if I was tired, not feeling well or if the rope was too tight. He was making the atmosphere around us awkward, it was quite obvious from the silence and the way he paused between short interactions. I didn't feel threatened, insulted or afraid anymore, so I just kept answering him, but it made me feel confused and maybe a little relieved.
Here was my new, so called "owner" who hadn't showed any negative actions or feelings towards me. He didn't raise his voice or wasn't being too rough, but instead reminded me of an elder man who didn't know how to interact with the opposite sex. It made me wonder why he had bought me in the first place. Is he going to give me to someone else? Doesn't that mean that he's just an errand boy? The nervousness was making my stomach twist and I was almost ready to throw up, but swallowed it down. I wasn't sure, if the idea of being delivered to an owner or the fact that I was suffering from the lack of water, but my head was starting to hurt.
When the man finally stopped it was in front of a wooden carriage with a white cover over it like a small hut. Inside of it, I saw few boxes and baskets and their content were none of my business, but few bundles of clothes gave me some clues. Though, I was starting to think that the man was a merchant of some sort, or he could've just been on a vacation around the town, but buying a slave, on a day you're supposed to relax, didn't sound like a normal thing to do.
Out of nowhere, a leather bag is pushed in front of me and when I heard a strange splashing sound coming out of it I knew that it was a water tank. An urge to grab it and drink everything made my hands twitch up, but then I held them back and looked up at the man who was so tall that I had to crank my neck back to meet his eyes. They wavered away to the side for a moment, before looking back at me.
"Here. I do not think that you've had anything to drink for a while. It's clear water, so don't worry." He said and pushed the tank closer.
I didn't look away from him. Finding this act of kindness quite suspicious and scary, but then something in me slumps down in defeat. It didn't quite matter anymore, but I wanted to stay alive and well, even if there was a risk of dying. Slowly, I reached out and took it, before opening the cork and bringing it to my mouth. First, I tried to be careful, but after the first gulp, it was like my body acted on its own and I started to swallow more and more. The cool liquid took away the burning feeling, the dryness that the days of throwing up and the lack of food and drinks had caused.
However, the water was taken from me almost too soon and I unconsciously tried to reach out for it again. I needed to drink more, I wanted to drink more than I probably could. It was a privilege that I had not been granted for ages, but the tall man stubbornly kept it away from my reach.
"N-no." He stumbled on that one word, when I became even bolder on my advances. "You shouldn't drink so much at once. You can get more later, but for now this is enough."
"Thirsty..." I rasped out, but lowered my hands, understanding what he meant.
A frown, resembling that of pity and sadness, formed on his features. I didn't like it one bit, but his next words made my eyes widen painfully. "Perhaps...you would like something to eat?"
Everything was becoming too good to be true. Not few minutes after his question, I was sitting in his carriage. Free from bindings, chains, with a piece of dried meat and fresh fruits. It was all too good to the point that I was crying while swallowing down the food. Even the wound on my back didn't bother me that much anymore.
It was a surprise what a long period of time in a small space and dark without a bathroom could actually do to a person. Drool was dripping down my chin, I was probably eating with my mouth open and disgusting noises kept coming out of it with every bite. But other than that, I was very happy and after a while I started to eat more slowly with tears still sliding down my face. The empty stomach was filling in a quick pace and brought a huge amount of satisfaction.
The man didn't interrupt me, but I saw from the corner of my eyes how he kept glancing towards me from the spot he was crouching on. His hands were in the middle of sorting out some stuff on where he had gotten the food, but it looked like he was having a hard time to concentrate on the task. At first, I thought that he found me repulsive and I paused with chewing and looked back at him. From instinct, my hand rose up to wipe away the drool and the crumbles of the meat and an apple.
The man finally opened his mouth, after minutes of an awkward silence. "Um, aren't you hungry anymore?"
"..." I blinked at him, not believing that he had just asked something like that, when it was quite obvious why I didn't even take bites anymore. I shifted my legs under me uncomfortably and looked down. Without a word, I took another bite, but after I swallowed I turned to look back at him. "Why did you buy me?"
Now, it was my turn to make him uncomfortable and that he became. His eyes darted between the objects in the carriage and me on the other side of the carriage, sitting with a half-eaten fruit in my hand. His large hand rubbed his chin nervously. "Well..." The Rukh around him faltered, its movements became more slower. It gave me an impression how unsure he was, if I read the flying birds right. "I...I'm not sure."
That is not an answer. My face fell into a frown and I took another bite out of the fruit, the juicy flavor watering my mouth once again. This man obviously didn't currently impose as a scary male that had just freed a slave who could bolt out at any moment. He was being careless and it made me feel even more relieved, but it was pushed down by fear. "Where will you take me?"
The man let out a sigh and then stood up, stretching his limbs. "I probably have to take you to the capital. I live there with my family. Then...I think I'll have to explain to my family about...well, this. Unless, you have somewhere else where you would like to go?"
The first place that came to my mind was my home. That apartment I lived in, that house I used to live in with my father and then that another house where both of my parents and I had been, all those places hit my mind like a harsh wave and a lump gathered in my throat. Those scents that I had almost forgotten over the time, I could almost recall and smell them. That perfume my mother used to use, the scent of grass after father cut it from our yard, those times my grandparents had come and we baked were the most joy filled moments. Everything I recalled were only happy images, but they also shifted to those times of fighting, but happy nonetheless. But those were the things that I had been ripped apart from.
Next, the Great Rift came into my thoughts and I was almost back in that magic filled house. The wood in the carriage had the same smell that the house had, though, there was no trace of any herbs. And instead of the light of the candles, the sun kept lighting the place with its light and the heat was creating sweat on my forehead and back. Nothing was familiar or comforting, expect for the food in my hands and the feeling of the chains finally being off of my legs, the wounds were even angrier than I would've thought. The dark purple and blue, bruise rings around my ankles were nothing I had ever seen before.
I wouldn't dare to try the lines that had been set. I wouldn't get back to Yunan's place easily. It was a long trip and there was no guarantee that I wouldn't be captured and sold off, again. And even if I was given the freedom to hop on the first boat or ship that is near, I wouldn't really know on which direction the Great Rift was. This was all truly like dumping someone in an unknown country without a map. The chances of me to actually getting back even near Yunan's house were one out of million. However, the place where I was headed next made mixing feelings bubble inside of me, because that was the exact place where the Colosseum was and it made me think Draik.
To distract myself and to smother the tears that started to burn in my eyes, I started to eat again and shook my head. The man nodded to that and then went off of the carriage, closing the door that wasn't even half of its height. It only job was to keep the goods from sliding down out of carriage and to the ground.
"Well, then... We'll start to move soon, so stay in the carriage and when you're finished eating you can throw the trash out to the road..." That made me almost frown, but it was just from a culture shock. "If you want anything or ask about something, then...I'm right behind that piece of cloth." He pointed at the direction where a horse was and there was a small parting right there so it would be easy to peek out of it.
I simply nodded again and he did the same, before untying the white fabric on the sides and letting them slide in front of the opening. There was now darkness around me, but my eyes got somewhat used to it after a few minutes. Compared to my time in that another carriage with the slaves and in that giant ship where we were stocked like in a simple shop, I welcomed these shadows. My fingers traced the line of my legs to the point they touched the bruises and the cuts. I hissed and bit my lip in silence, but a small smile still made its way to my chapped and dry lips. The chains are truly gone. I'm free...well, in some sense at least.
The floor under me tilted to the right and left and a heavy huff came from behind me. That man must be ready to leave already and my suspicions came true, when there was a neigh from a horse and the whole carriage started moving. Honestly, I preferred this kind of traveling to the waves of the sea that had felt like an endless torture method. But now, I faced another problem. What will I do now?
The feeling of freedom was beyond words. Nothing to restrain you, no one to terrify you with a whip on their hands, but I had only one quirk in all of this and that was the man who currently drove the carriage, Agapito. His name had, at first, sounded kind of weird from my mouth. It reminded me of some sort of pizza with lots of tomatoes in it, but I may have thought like that because I was hungry at that time and wanted to eat some pizza. Anyway, he and I didn't talk with each other often. The only words we exchange were when we needed to have a break and he asked how I was feeling and so on. Then I would answer him and we would moved on. To say at least, it was all very uncomfortable and awkward, at some points.
But despite these things, I was more relieved than anything. I was glad that he was kind enough for me and gave me the freedom to move. The Rukh around him was much brighter than those slaves or Quibilah. It was a nice change and at some points he mentioned his family to me and I was already aware that he had children of his own and a wife who he seemed to fear to some extent. There was adoration and fondness in there, but also carefulness.
I almost bit my tongue, when the salve I had been given stung and burned the wound on my back. Agapito had only lately noticed it and commented on how irritated and red the skin around it looked. Well, me being me had only said that it was fine and would heal in time. But I had underestimated what hot air and sweat could actually do. First the wound had started itching and it wasn't until I started to raise and move my shoulder that some parts of it opened and blood started to drip down my back and stain the fabric of my clothes.
"Jessy, are you alright?" Agapito asked through the so called wall and I looked at where his shadow was casted over the white curtain.
"Yes. It just stings." I reached out to my back and swallowed another hiss of pain. "I'm sorry, about your salve."
"No, no, no. It's alright. My wife would skin me alive, if I left a woman with an infected wound such as that." The way he said it indicated that he was only half-joking. "...Did you wash it with water first, though."
"Yes." I answered and then pushed my hair to the side. I wouldn't know how to bandage myself, but there was no way that I would ask a grownup man to do it for me. "By the way, when will we be in the capital?"
"Well..." There was a little pause. "I would say that less than a day, which means we'll be at the capital around the time, when the sun is going down."
"Oh." I said dumbly and then laid down on the floor, staring at the ceiling, bored. Back to the silence, I guess.
I hadn't realized how much I had missed knowing what time and day it was. If I remembered and calculated correctly, we had already been moving for four days. But I was not bored or uncomfortable, like back in that slave carriage or in that ship that nauseated me to the point of suffocation. Here, there were no chains around me or roommates that stole all the possible air. Though, despite the fact that the company of the other slaves had not exactly been welcoming, I couldn't stop thinking about them now and then. Not after seeing so many of them turn into corpses right before my eyes.
That first, dark haired woman that I had helped and then Draik. They were the only ones I had spoken with and their faces were more firmly burned into my mind. But somehow, when I compared both of them, I found something similar about their auras or rather, the way they acted. So dry and cold eyes, angry and irritation lacing their tones. The bluntness of their words were harsh and honest and all of those things were what unsettled me at first, but also made me prepared. I had never really spoken to people like them. In my world, everyone weren't saints, but there was a thing called politeness rules that needed to be followed. And also, everyone tended to sugarcoat the truth or lie, but Draik and that woman hadn't. It was such a pity that they were slaves, they didn't deserve it, like all those other people.
The longer I kept thinking about the slaves, the closer my thoughts went to Kana. Her eyes, pleading while her screams had pierced my ears like the hit from a whip. I recalled the times we curled down to the floor together and tried to catch some sleep in the carriage that was full of odor and dirty hays. How warm and small she was in my arms, so defenseless and innocent. My half-siblings and I, only rarely showed that kind of closeness anymore. We lived far away from each other and because of that I had become a stranger to them over the time that had passed. Though, my step-father and step-mother still made me look after them at least once a year or more. Now, that I had known Kana, I started to recall those times with them. I hadn't been happy with them, but not unhappy either. They didn't treat me wrongly and we got all along somehow. I miss my step-mothers pies. She knew how to make them.
The images from the world that I had left shifted to the form of the strangely dressed man and my fingers curled around the bowl containing the ointment. He had definitely been from Kou, those clothes of his made more sense that way. The shape of it and the color too led all to the Kou Empire. I shivered just from thinking about who lived there. Those royal family members had made me feel cold chills even from the screen and it hadn't been helpful of knowing who their queen was. Also, their magi was Judal and that was even more scarier. It was like the whole country was covered in blood and terrorists and now Kana was also probably there. Slave was a slave no matter where you would be sold and the treatment wasn't better. She could truly get whipped, beaten and scorned there, even if she was still a child.
The wound on my back throbbed for a moment, ominously. The bottom of my stomach dropped and I felt nauseously nervous. I was worried, so worried that even sitting wasn't taking away the dizziness I started to feel. What if she becomes a corpse, just like all the other slaves? She's so much younger and weaker than what they had been. She'll definitely be hurt, hungry and lonely. I had just barely been able to stand the kind of treatment I had been given. Even now, the bruises on my torso and back ache even from a little movement. Just...what will happen to Kana?
Another set of nauseous waves passed through my body and I covered my mouth with my hand. Something was rising inside my throat and I quickly crawled to the carriage's edge before emptying whatever came out of my stomach. I choked and coughed, closing my eyes and pushing my dirty hair weakly out of the way. Vomit splashed to the road and I was relieved knowing that there were not any people seeing my state right now.
"Jessy? Jessy, is everything alright?" The carriage jerked to a stop and soon the sound of fabric being pushed to the side was heard. No doubt Agapito saw my pathetic form crouched down over the edge. "Jessy!"
"I-I..." The last bit of vomit came out and I panted. "I...want out." Not long after my words, Agapito was helping me down to the solid ground and I felt ashamed to see the trail of my old food on it. Over the days, I had felt better, both physically and somewhat mentally, but now that this happened I was not so sure anymore. "Thank you."
"You should rest. We can continue traveling later." Agapito urged me to follow him to the shade of a large tree. "You can sit here. Do you want to drink some water?"
I gave him a simple nod as an answer and he returned it, before rushing back to the carriage. He seemed to be genuinely worried about me and that made me a little happy. It was a nice change from the coldness and those dirty glances I had received from the other people until now. And when the golden haired man returned with a water tank, I gave him a small smile and thanked him. This made him look at me with slight surprise, but after few hesitant moments he returned it.
Kana, I'm sorry. The cool water went down my sore throat and took away the bitter taste. The burning inside my mouth subsided, but it was bad enough to bring tears to my eyes, or perhaps, it was because of the weight in my chest that was like a crushing boulder. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to save you either. Why did things have to turn out like this?
"Um, Jessy?" The calling of my name made me look at Agapito, who was standing next to one of the two horses that were pulling the carriage. "Do you like horses?"
As if knowing that he had mentioned them, the creature moved its powerful and long legs and I wanted to inch away. Trying to regain control over my emotions, I pushed the memories of that little girl away and straightened my back. "...I don't know. I've not really seen them many times."
"Then... Would you like to pet him?" Agapito asked carefully, but after seeing me fall silent and unsure, he opened his mouth again. "He's very gentle, so don't worry. He won't hurt you."
The pair of black eyes were line onyxes and so very large, they didn't show emotion like people did. The face wasn't also that of a person's, but an animal's so I was very uncertain, if to even come closer to it. The horse was very large, too. I felt like a mouse compared to it, but finally put the water tank down and approached slowly. There was nothing else for me to do anyway, though, the confidence I had melted away, the closer I got to the horse.
I flinched, when it shifted its weight on its legs, but Agapito kept his hold on the reins and equipment that tied it to the carriage. The sight of me inching closer like a child waiting for scolding must have been amusing, but strangely he didn't say anything. He took a step to the side and allowed me to come closer to the horse's head and after a while I reached out my hand. The heat radiating from it touched the tips of my fingers, before I could've even touched the fur on the neck. Alright. Nice horse. Be nice. Don't move. Don't bite!
The very moment I touched it, I jumped slightly and drew my hand back a little. However, almost immediately, I touched the neck again and felt the warmth. A smile spread on my lips naturally and a delighted giggle escaped from my mouth, without a second thought. I was actually touching a real horse, for the first time in my life and it wasn't actually so bad. The feeling of joy streamed on every part of me and the smile became almost painfully wide on my face. If only my parents could see me now, me, their daughter who wasn't even such a fan of animals. No doubt my mother would be gaping at the scene like a fish.
"Try touching his muzzle." Agapito suggested with a smile of his own.
I frowned and looked at him, pausing with the stroking. "Won't he bite?"
"No, no." Was the immediate answer, with a reassuring look.
Carefully, I lifted my hand and reached out for the muzzle, not sure, if I could trust Agapito's words. However, when I did touch it, my jaw dropped automatically and I gasped. "It's so soft."
Agapito let out a laugh, but when I looked at him his face stiffened. "Ugh. I'm sorry. It's just my children had a similar reaction to it, too."
Searching through the memory, I remembered that he had mentioned them few times. Another smile came to my lips and I stroked the muzzle again, the horse merely blinked from my touch. I did not mind being compared to small children. "You have one son and a daughter, right?"
"Y-yes." He stammered, but looked rather happy from the mentioning of his children. "The son is twelve and the girl is only six. My wife is pregnant with our third child, at the moment."
"Really? Congratulation."
"Thank you."
"Is her stomach showing already, if I may ask?" This must be the first normal conversation I have had for a while.
"Not yet, but it should, soon." Agapito looked so proud, when he spoke of his family.
His good mood had a positive effect on me and I continued asking some more. "What are your children called?"
"The girl is Athena and the boy is Apollo." The names made me pause with the stroking and I looked at Agapito with almost raised eyebrows. He frowned, confused by that. "Is something wrong?"
My eyebrows dropped back to their places and a heat of embarrassment spread on my cheeks. My reaction must have been rude. "Oh, sorry. It's just that I've heard those names before in some...stories."
"Stories? What kind of stories?" Agapito asked curiously.
Memories of my college classes came back to my head and the faces of my classmates along with that tall and lanky teacher. The hours we spent in front of the books, were something like from a faraway dream and nostalgic feelings filled my chest, instead of a heavy weight that had disappeared what felt like ages ago. The teacher had been nice enough and somehow managed to make me interest in the subject, so of course I would remember something from back then. Especially some things that were part of the mythology, those things had been the most fun to listen to.
"Athena is the name of a goddess...from some country. And so is Apollo, the name of a god that is. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war and Apollon is the god of the sun. He's also the god of many other things such as music, but I think that the sun is the most impressive of them all." The thought of some children actually having those names was kind of cute.
"I see. I wonder what they will think of that, when they'll hear about this." Agapito wondered out loud fondly.
The conversation wasn't as awkward as usually and the curiosity made me ask things again. "Where did you get those names from?"
"They are actually quite common names in Reim." The answer made me smile amusedly and he continued with that same fond smile and gentle voice. "My wife and I thought that they were fitting and sounded perfect, but now it seems that they have a completely new meaning for me. They fit on those two even more than we thought."
He definitely is a doting father. My own smile only grew and I started stroking the horse's neck again, occasionally doing the same on his soft muzzle. Things weren't exactly perfect for me, but at least for now I enjoyed this peaceful moment, something I had thought I would never experience again. This kind of relief was something I had never experienced before. Everything had seemed so dark, since I had been captured by the slavers with Kana, but now everything was a lot more brighter. It would probably take a while, before I could get used to the natural lifestyle of not being a slave. Though, I wondered, if I would even truly become completely healed, because there were wounds that had not been placed on my skin.
The horse suddenly shook its head and I laughed, stroking the mane after it was done. How carefree I was able to be, despite what had happened to me. I was able to push and hid those terrible memories, but I would always remember them. Those who had already hurt me mentally, couldn't erase what they had done. Just forget it, for now. The man had bathed in the sunlight for some time and it felt extremely warm under my touch. The texture was rough, but also pleasantly soft and I almost wanted to bury my face into it. The Rukh around the horse seemed to be a happy one, it was like that around Agapito, too.
My attention went from the animal to the white birds that fluttered around me. One of them landed on top of my shoulder and few others also started to stick to my arms and head. It made me feel like there were monkeys climbing on top of me. If I had a camera with me, I sure would love to take a picture of this. Though, was it even possible for the Rukh to be seen in a photo?
"...sy!" I froze, fingers tangled in the horse's mane.
"Did you hear...?" Agapito tried to ask, but didn't finish the question. From the corner of my eye, I saw how he turned to look towards the direction where we had come from. "Is- is that a person? He is running this way."
"...essy! Jessy!" The voice became clearer and much closer and I turned around, almost like a robot. The first thing I saw was light, silver golden hair that swung around, as the man dressed in green ran closer. He had a bright smile on his flushed face, but the way his large hat almost fell from his head looked comical. Each step he took, made my eyes widen and something started to squeeze my heart. It wasn't until he fully lifted that large hat up a little and showed his full face did I feel something burn my eyes. The fair skinned male panted and leaned against the brown staff, like he had ran a marathon. "Thank... goodness! I... finally was...able to catch up..."
"E-excuse me, but who- who are you?" Agapito asked confusedly, no doubt flabbergasted by the sight of the strange stranger. Next, he looked at me. "Jessy, do you know this- him?"
"..." I didn't say anything, my jaw was dropped and I couldn't mutter out anything. I was completely mute as I stared at the person who I thought I wouldn't see yet any time soon.
Yunan straightened up, scratching the side of his face with a small smile. Some strands of his hair were sticking to his skin from sweat, which was a surprise, since he didn't look like a person who did a lot of exorcise. He was definitely in front of me, though, just few feet away from the back of the carriage. The mass of Rukh around him was a lot more than what normal people had, the green outfit was the same as I remembered it and the same could be said about those blue eyes. Still, not believing that he was even there, I took shaky steps forward, my expression of disbelief and shock not changing at all.
Blue eyes blinked at me, the smile falling a little. The features were the same soft and feminine, with almost white skin, but now it had a healthy, red glow to it from the running the magi had made. His shoulders rose and fell rather heavily, but he didn't look ready to collapse anytime soon. And once I had drank in the sight of Yunan, I finally realized that the things burning my eyes were tears and they were now running down my face.
Every strength in my body was slipping away and with the last bit of it I reached out and wrapped my arms tightly around the thin shoulders. With cheek pressed against the crook of Yunan's neck I could feel his heat and the heart beat, telling me that he truly was real. The first sob shook my body and I clung tighter to him.
Yunan was stiff at first, probably he had not expected this kind of reaction from me, but then he wrapped his free arm around me and pressed his cheeks against the crown of my head. His actions made me cry harder and it wasn't until he stroked my back a little did it become worse. I didn't care, if I was crying on his almost bare chest and that my tears were dripping down his collar, all I wanted now was comfort and reassurance. The hair brushing the side of my face felt much softer than the horse's mane. The scent of sweat tingled my nose and the familiarity of the herbs smell made more tears pour down from my eyes. I didn't truly realize, how much I had wanted for someone to come and save me.
It became harder to stand and so I let my knees fall down to the ground, but Yunan also came with me and didn't take his arm off around me. He didn't hug me too tightly or too lightly, but had a gentle touch, which was expected from him. I didn't really understand how he found me, or why did it take so long. Or how he could've just smiled like that, like I had not been missing for a long period of time and that I was wearing terrible looking clothes that obviously belonged to a slave. I didn't even have shoes on and the dark rings around my ankles weren't hidden.
"D-damn...you..." I said between the sobs.
"Eh?" Yunan was probably blinking at me. He had definitely heard that with his hearing abilities.
"Damn you..." I repeated more loudly the second time.
"Me? What have I done?" He sounded completely loss for words and pondered what he had done wrong. He was so earnest about it that a small chuckle came out of me, but I didn't stop crying.
"F-forget it..." It was becoming quite hard for me to think anymore.
My face was downcast towards the floor of the carriage, while I sat with Yunan just next to me. I could feel how his large eyes were even larger, when they lingered on the wound on my back. The carriage kept moving on and it felt like the time was dragging itself across minutes, making a single minute feel like twenty. The atmosphere from a joyful reunion had disappeared from me and now I was simply feeling rather small under Yunan's gaze that turned from shock to sadness. His thin eyebrows knitted together, when I finally mustered some courage to even glance at him. That expression he wore made me also feel down and my chest tightened from sadness. Honestly, I had not thought of his reaction to the wound, but now I wished that I would've at least figured out what to say to him. It was so uncomfortable and suffocating, to just sit near him like this and see that look he had on.
It was like an eon had passed, when he finally opened his mouth and spoke with regret clear on his tone. "I'm sorry, Jessy. This wasn't supposed to happen to you. I was careless."
C'mon now, Jessy. Say something! The voice inside of my head nagged and I bit down on my lower lip. I truly needed to get a grip and so I wiped my swollen red eyes and turned fully to face Yunan. This way, he wouldn't be able to see the wound.
"It-it isn't your fault. I was also rather shocked, when those slavers appeared out of nowhere."
Yunan leaned closer. "The wound, it doesn't hurt, right?"
"Just stings a little, but Agapito gave me some ointment and I've put it on it already. It should get better." I replied, but before I could've said anything else Yunan continued.
"I could heal it for you." He said and I held up my hands knowing what he was about to do.
"No." Now I lean closer and lower my voice. "I'm not sure what Agapito would say, if he found out you're a magician."
"Does he hate magicians?" Yunan asked with the same volume as I did.
I shrugged. "I don't know. But I don't want to take any risks... Anyway, we have to talk about Kana." The atmosphere didn't turn better. In fact, it became worse and much more tense, but Yunan maintained his soft and gentle expression. His eyes, however, were looking at me with intense silence and knowledge. I had his attention, but now it would become a lot trickier to say things that I wanted, there were many of things I wanted to say, actually. But all that I could think about was that time, when Kana had been taken, it made a lump appear in my throat. "She wasn't brought to Reim. A slaver from Kou took her, when we were somewhere in the middle of Dark Continent and Heliohapt, I think."
"Are you certain about that it is Kou where she was taken to?" Yunan surprised me with his lack of reaction, but his voice told me that he definitely needed confirmation.
I nodded, recalling that red outfit on the man who had come into the carriage. "The clothes that the slaver wore were from there. I didn't also see any features on him that would tie to him to some other country. If he was not Kou, then I've no idea of where Kana might be."
Yunan doesn't blink, he merely glanced at where Agapito was currently driving the carriage and then leaned closer and whispered. "If this is the case, then what do you want to do?"
"I want to go to Kou and look for her." The words were out of my mouth, before my mind could've thought about it. Though, that may have been what I truly wanted, the mere thought of actually going to that country made my stomach twist from nervousness. How could I do that? Kou was very large, if I remembered correctly, being powerful and feared and all of that other crap. There were many places where Kana might be and there were also many slaves as well. If I would go there and ask about a small girl with brown hair and almost same colored eyes, there would be many, because those features were quite common from what I had seen.
The blond man next to me voiced out some of my thoughts. "It won't be that simple, Jessy. Kou is a large place and you don't know where there she might be."
"Well...what else am I supposed to do then? She is definitely afraid, right now and we just keep sitting here like nothing is wrong." It was true. I was free, but Kana definitely wasn't.
"Then, if you want to help her, how will you find her? Also, do you have knowledge of how large that country is? It isn't only that, but those who are outsiders are rarely let in and if they are there is a certain amount of hostility." Yunan continues speaking calmly, but the look of worry and unease is as plain as a day on his face.
"...Can't you help me? This is Kana who we are talking about. Don't you want to save her as well?"
"Of course I want to help her."
"Then, you can use..." I lower my voice. "Magic, to get us in."
Yunan lets out a weak chuckle. "Like I already said, it isn't that simple. Even if we did get into Kou, we certainly wouldn't be able to find Kana easily. It would take months, maybe a year or more than that."
This made me raise an eyebrow doubtfully. "How were you able to find me?"
The extreme calm and almost nonexistent worry around Yunan was starting to honestly annoy me. He was mostly like that, it was a fact that I knew from the period of time I had spent with him. However, if he was able to get information about Kana whereabouts somehow, then why was he even asking these things now and wasting our time? The truth was that I didn't fully understand Yunan's way of thinking, but he made me feel like an open book that he could read easily without hesitation. He wasn't a bad person, I knew that, but I couldn't stop having these feelings of worry and fear, when he looked at me now with those blue eyes. I'm certain that there are other slavers and carriages around the Dark Continent, so there is no way he could've gotten any clues by asking from some passerby's.
My eyes met with Yunan's and I didn't look away from his. They looked back at me, too, but much more calmly and with composure that I was definitely lacking. He blinked, but then a soft smile bloomed on his lips, which threw me off guard. It was like this whole situation wasn't weighting down the atmosphere and we were just having a pleasant conversation. For the first time, I started to feel angry towards Yunan and his nonchalant attitude. My face twitched into a scowl and I gritted my teeth, holding back an urge to punch something.
Without wanting to think, I growled at the smiling blond. "What are you smiling about?"
"Ah, sorry." It fell a little, but the small smile stayed nonetheless.
"This isn't a game and yet you act like we are having a tea party!? I asked a serious question, you know!?" My anger only kept rising, as I glared at Yunan.
However, he didn't waver and his features softened even more, if that was even possible. He didn't say anything and simply reached out, before placing his hand on top of my fist that was still clenching itself into a tighter ball. Though, it loosened automatically from the sudden contact and my shoulders stiffened. The warmth spread on my palm from the skin contact and it was obvious that the angry frown on my face was melting away. "Calm down, Jessy, please."
I lowered my eyes from his, ashamed. I felt childish for yelling at him, but I also couldn't stop new tears from dripping down my face. I was so tired and sick of everything that was happening. The chains that had been removed from my ankles days ago had left behind those horrible rings on my skin and every time I looked at them a sense of humiliation came back and I wanted to just cry, especially now that Yunan was here. He was so nice to me that it made my chest feel painfully tight. I had never been treated like this by someone who wasn't my parent. It was such a strange feeling, but that was not why I was bothered. It was because it made me feel like I took advantage of Yunan's kindness.
The bruises throbbed along with the wound, reminding me about more reasons that caused me to feel like breaking down. The scream of frustration was gathering in my throat, but before I could've unleashed it the hold on my hand tightened slightly. The hold wasn't uncomfortable, it didn't feel like it even when the thumb started stroking the skin of my palm. Lifting my gaze back up, I noticed something. The soft smile on Yunan's lips was the same, but I also noticed the rest of his face now. He wasn't in a happy mood, because his eyebrow were knitted together into a frown.
Why is he suddenly looking like that? I don't understand him at all.
The carriage hadn't stopped nor had Agapito asked what we were talking about. You would think that after me starting to yell hysterically he would've done some of those, but no. He was probably too uncomfortable already at the front to bother himself with our business. Whatever his reasons were, I was a little grateful that he hadn't said or done anything. I didn't need a crowd around me just because of this. Everything was already suffocating me from inside and out, there was a lump in my throat.
"Jessy, I'm sorry." Yunan whispered softly and continued stroking my hand. "There are things that I want to tell you, things that you should know. But I'm afraid you can't just yet."
What? I frowned in confusion and stared at him. He met my eyes and earnestly kept them like that. Yunan wouldn't lie, that was what I wanted to believe in with all my heart.
"Then help Kana..." I choked on my tears and wiped them away with my free hand. "This isn't about me, Yunan. I don't need to know anything, whatever you mean. She has a family waiting. I want to have her back with them, because otherwise I couldn't look them in the eyes anymore. So, tell me truthfully: Can you help Kana?"
Now, it was he who lowered his head and I couldn't see what kind of expression he was making under that hat, but I waited patiently. "There is a way to know where she is..." I held my breath. "But I'll tell you about that later."
"What? Why-" My voice was cut off, when Yunan leaned closer. I now saw his eyes again, bright blue was darker from the poor light amount around us.
"Jessy, please, trust me." He whispered, the breath warm like his hand that was still on top of mine.
This couldn't be happening. All he needed to say were those simple words and I felt like relaxing and calming down. He was like that, even when I had first met him, Yunan had always had this gentle aura around him. I wanted to just be calm, to think clearly, when he was around. Everyone, the people from Kana's village, they all were the same. All comfortable around him and never showing a slightest bit of ill will. They had even allowed Yunan to bring an outsider, me, into their home. That meant that they trusted him, which I was only now starting to realize.
Frankly, I couldn't bring myself to trust him. If I did, then I would've already told him about how I even came to the Great Rift. But I had kept my mouth shut to this very moment. I had felt safe with Yunan, I had believed that I wouldn't be in any danger as long as he was around, but it had been a mistake on my part. He may be a powerful magi, someone who could do impossible things. Throughout the series I had watched I had thought and seen him like that. This Yunan in front of me was real, he had a real heartbeat and touch, which meant that I saw him as a person now. This all wasn't a game I could play lightheartedly, because it would mean that with a single mistake I could end up into a place worse than what I had been through.
Everything is real, this is not happening behind a screen. My hand that was being held by Yunan started to feel sweaty and so did the back of my neck. Something inside of me felt like it was breaking, when I realized even more that I couldn't bring myself to truly trust this magi. No matter how strong he is, anything could happen to me.
Still, I wiped the last tear away and tried to look calm. It surprised me, how steadily my voice came out. "I trust you."
This brought a smile to his face that made a stab of guilt poke my heart. "Thank you."
We stayed silent after that, but by the happy look on Yunan's face I knew he was content with it. In the end, we somehow ended up leaning against each other for support in the carriage, or maybe it was me who had needed that. My head lolled to the side, resting itself on his shoulder in a familiar matter, but he wasn't bothered by it. The hand holding mine hadn't left and I didn't mind.
When I was little, I remember falling asleep quite easily in moving vehicles. Even if I had slept at night well enough, my eyes always closed in the car. My mother had told me it was cute and it hadn't stopped even when I entered my adult years. I didn't understand why it happened, though. It was just so comforting to sleep on something that was moving and reminding me of a cradle. Once, my mother had even come to sit with me on the back seat and father had been the one driving. I don't really recall where we had been going, but it was around night time back then. I fell asleep while leaning against my mother who had her arm around me. She stroked my head few times, before I fell asleep.
The memory, the feeling of a warm hand on top of mine were enough to make me close my eyes and fall asleep.
Alright, Yunan has finally come back and everything may seem a little more brighter for Jessy. However, will everything go smoothly? Who knows?
Anyway, my school life is recently hard. The homework, tests, hobbies and stress and so on. You all who experience these kind of things understand, right? I'm not sure, when I will be able to update stories, but I'll do my best. Also, those who have not read my other stories, please do. Also, I'm going to give you all a little spoiler here.
SPOILER: Jessy will soon meet characters from the world of Magi. I am sure you can guess who they are, but they will also bring some tension to the story. Though, I'm not going to tell how or why. You can imagine the next chapters and what will happen in them.
Oh, I'm also giving you options who could be the third wheel on Jessy's and Yunan's future romance (Yes, a love triangle is coming to this story). Who do you think it is?
1. Judal
2. Sinbad
3. Muu Alexius
4. Masrur
5. Ren Kouen
6. Ren Koumei
Until next time! Remember to comment and give me your support! I love to hear what you all have to say.
