Chapter 26: Blood-Red Eye

Aurora's POV

My friends and I hid behind the trees as we looked at the human village that was 20ft away from the forest.

Honestly, this looked a little less like a village and more like the kind of modern towns you'd see on Earth and this particular town was even bigger than Roca, human houses going on for half a mile.

"This is exactly what we were afraid of running into," Berries said fearfully.

"We can't pass that town without being seen," Ruby added uneasily.

"But it's not like we can go around the village. We'll be seen in the open fields," Choco pointed out.

I narrowed my eyes to see that the villagers actually had vehicles just like the ones in my world. Vans, convertibles, and wagons with hoods which made me think of something.

"Couldn't we wait at night to walk around the village?" Ruby thought hopefully.

"No," Toffee denied. "Look up there." We looked at what we was pointing at. We saw towers with big, round black lights. "Human villages use those lights to detect any intruders at night, so traveling at dusk won't help."

"So, what? We've come all this way for nothing?" Rosela asked in disbelief.

"We could fall back and find another route," Choco suggested. "It'll take longer, but..."

"No, Choco, I've studied Magicianian maps at the castle, remember? Even if we take another route, we'll still run into human towns," Toffee dismissed.

I never took my eyes off of the vehicles in town. I wasn't sure what my friends would think of this idea, but I decided to speak up.

"You know...maybe if we had some sort of large transportation, like a vehicle of some sort that we can hide ourselves in, we could get through the town undetected."

"You're saying we hitch a ride?" Choco guessed.

"How else do we want to get past human homes?" I shrugged.

Toffee looked at the moving vehicles in town as he thought about what I was saying.

"It would be helpful, Aurora, but there are a few problems: 1. We have never driven a vehicle. And 2. We don't have any money to afford a ride."

"Well, I have a license, so I know how to dirve. Of course, that doesn't solve our money problems," I said, feeling saddened with our dilemma.

Rosela ran her left hand through her hair, also feeling distressed, then she felt something in her head. She pulled it out to see her hairpin that was shaped like a rose. The middle of the pin was green and the top had a small rose-shaped ruby which gave Rosela an idea.

"That's it," she whispered. Then she spoke clearly to get our attention. "We can sell this."

When Ruby and Berries saw the gem hairpin, they gasped in shock.

"But, Rosela, your mother gave you that hairpin," Berries reminded.

"I know," Rosela said, looking at the hairpin. "But we need a ride through the village and we need it now. There's no other way to get to the temple and we have to find the Phoenix Blade. ...After all, my parents would want us to get to the sword as quickly as possible," she said quietly as she looked at the hairpin.

The others could see how much Rosela wanted to help, so...

Toffee grinned as he nodded. "If you think it's best."

Rosela smiled in gratitude for her friends' understanding before she stood in front of me with the hairpin in her left hand.

"Here, take this. You should get a good price for it."

I held the hairpin that made me think how dear this must've been to Rosela.

"This is a piece of her mother..."

I understood why Rosela wanted to help, but I wasn't going to let her part with the whole hairpin.

"Well, here, Rosela. Why don't we take the jewel out of the hairpin and you keep the pin with you?"

Rosela was quite surprised by my idea. Toffee grinned as he put his left hand on Rosela's right shoulder.

"She's right," he agreed. "There's no need for you to give away the whole thing." Then he extended his right hand to me. "Let me see it, Aurora."

I nodded as I handed it to him. He carefully pulled the gem out of the hairpin that he gave back to Rosela who was speechless at first, then she slowly smiled as she gently gripped the precious pin.

"Thank you."

Toffee and I smiled at each other, glad to make Rosela happy with this.

"Okay, Aurora, it's up to you," Toffee said. "When you go down there, find a shop to sell that ruby, then find a vehicle big enough for all of us."

"Right... Oh, wait... What if they ask where I'm from?"

"She's right," Choco agreed straightfowardly. "They'll know she's new in town, but when they ask for immigration papers that she doesn't have, who knows what might happen?"

Toffee knew Choco had a point, then he girnned confidently.

"Then you'll just have to tell the truth," he said unhesitantly with his eyes closed.

"Huh?!" we all said in shock.

"Aurora, you know Magicianian humans have dimensional scissors to travel to Earth...and they sometimes bring Earth friends to this world. So, should someone ask you why you have no papers, tell them you woke up in Magicia by yourself and that you're traveling the world in search of answers... Which is technically the truth," he smirked.

"I understand," I smiled. "I can tell them the truth, but not the entire story."

"Exactly."

"Then I'd best be going. I'll be back with our ride."

"Be careful, Aurora," Berries requested.

"Just go in, then get out," Choco advised.

I nodded before giving Toffee my red cloak so that no one would ask me where I had gotten a magical cape that can keep my face hidden. Then I ran out of the forest as I headed straight for the village while my friends watched me.

"God Jehovah in Jesus's name, please help me do this right."

I took a deep breath as I came to the village, calmly walking because running would've made these people wonder what was putting me in a hurry. I deliberately avoided eye contact to save myself from too many questions.

I did expect some of these people to ask where I was from, though, but it seemed I wasn't getting any attention which was a shock.

However, I did keep hearing people quietly making good remarks about my hair. It reminded me of when my grandmother always insisted that I should let my hair down to let people see how nice it is.

I knew my hair was catching these Magicianian humans' eyes, but how come my clothes weren't?

"These clothes are made by a village in Amthor. Shouldn't that have caught their attention the most? ...Well, maybe they just don't care about me as long as I don't bother them."

Honestly, I was grateful for the minimal attenton. The less inconvenience, the better.

I did ask someone to please tell me where to find a shop which was in the middle of the village. I stepped inside to see all sorts of Magcianian merchandise that I had read from Toffee's books at the castle.

"Wow... Too bad I can't get any of these for my friends and me. Some of these things could help us on our mission."

I came to a counter as I called, "Excuse me? Can someone help me?"

I heard footsteps coming from the doorway that had long strings of colored beads. The owner was a man wearing blue Medieval garments and a hat.

"Hello there," he greeted, giving me his business smile. "How may I help such a fine red-haired young lady?"

"I'd like to sell this," I explained as I showed him the ruby.

His eyes dazzled at the sparkling gem in my hand.

"My, my, where on Magicia did you find this?"

"It doesn't matter," I responded nicely. "I'd just like to sell it, please."

"Well, hey, as long as I something lovely to add to my collection, who am I to question what people do with their stuff? I'll give you...$500."

"That's great," I nodded.

"Here you go, milady," he said as he handed me the money.

"Thank you very much."

"No, no, thank you," he said as he admired the ruby in his hand.

I stepped out to ask someone to tell me where I can find a car shop that was west of town. I arrived to see a bunch of decent cars, then I was greeted by a thin car salesman in a blue suit and short brown hair.

"Greetings, my fair lady. Have you come for some wheels?"

"Yes. I'd like that, please." I pointed at a gray coachmen RV.

"That one?"

"Yes," I answered with a calm smile, my hands behind my back.

"Well, whatever the lady wants," he shrugged.

He gave me the keys and happily accepted the money I gave him.

"So far, this has been rather easy. Nobody's asked me questions about myself and I've got what we needed."

I happily walked up to the RV, thinking everything was going perfectly. What I didn't know was that I was being watched by a grinning man who held a black whip in his hand.

Toffee's POV

The whole time that Aurora had been in town, I was using my binoculars to help me watch her. I was very surprised that no one asked where she was from.

"She's wearing clothes made in Amthor and yet they're not paying attention?"

"How is she doing down there, Toffee?" Berries asked, feeling anxious as the rest of the group.

It was no wonder they were concerned. After all, while they trust Aurora, they don't trust the villagers, and if those humans found out she was our ally, they'd destroy her on the spot.

"So far, she hasn't been stopped," I answered as I kept looking.

"You mean, they haven't noticed she's a foreigner?" Rosela asked.

"Apparently not."

"I guess they're more concerned with their lives than about new faces in town," Sapphire remarked.

"Then we should consider that a good thing," Choco declared. "At least she's not having a complicated time."

Despite that, the others wouldn't feel better until she was out of there and neither would I.

I continued to keep a close watch on Aurora who had left a shop where she had sold the ruby. Afterwards, she headed to a car shop where she purchased just the transportation big enough for all of us.

At first, we were all feeling deeply relieved that Aurora had completed her job and that she would soon be on her way to meet up with us again.

But just as Aurora was about to touch the newly bought vehicle, I saw a 21-year-old man with short black hair and black clothes. He had a whip in his right hand as he kept his eyes on Aurora.

Then, to my dismay, he was about to strike his whip on her! I immediately put my binoculars away as I put on my cloak's hood.

"Someone's attacking her," I explained quickly.

"What?!"

"A man's attacking her."

As I started going down, Rosela called, "Wait, Toffee, I'll wear Aurora's cloak and come with you."

"No, Rosela," I said over my shoulder. "You don't have gloves and shoes to cover your hands and feet. They'll know you're a monster for sure. I have to go alone. Stay here."

"But..." Rosela started to protest, but Verde gently held her left arm.

"Trust him, Rosela. He'll save her."

Rosela still wanted to come with me, but she knew I was right that she would've only brought unnecessary attention because of how long her fingernails and toenails were, not to mention sharp.

Therefore, Rosela had no choice but to watch me go to the village alone.

Aurora's POV

I was ready to hit the road and leave all of this behind, but just as I was walking to the RV, I felt something around my waist. I glanced down to see something black and...leathery.

Before I knew it, I felt myself spinning around until I started to fall down into someone's left arm. I fought the dizziness out of my head so I could see who was messing with me.

The attacker had a black leather jacket, a black T-shirt, black pants and black shoes; his black hair long enough to cover half of his face with only his right eye showing. When I looked at his blood-red eye, I could see danger in his soul that wasn't any different from those three thieves Toffee and I once fought.

My body felt still as stone as I felt terrified, wondering what in the world he wanted with me.

"Why, hello," he greeted, his voice calm yet menacing. "I heard about a girl with long, ruby red hair, so I just had to see for myself."

He kept his left arm around me as he reached his right hand to hold my hair that he examined with a grin.

"Now this is what I call hair."

Then he looked straight at me in the face.

"The rest of your features aren't bad, either. So what's a prize like you up to, anyhow?"

"Now how do I respond to that? Oh, I'm honestly too afraid to say a word to this guy and risk making it worse."

I looked away which only made him smirk and squeeze me tighter, making my blood turn cold.

"Oh, come on, don't be shy," he coaxed. "I just want to get to know the new girl. Hey," he said in my left ear which made me squeeze my eyes shut. "You got wheels. How's about you and me go out in the town?"

I was beginning to panic. I know I was scared to say something before, but there was no way I was going anywhere with this guy!

"No, thank you," I said as calmly as I could. "I'd rather go on my own."

"Oh, but I should let you know: I don't take 'no' for an answer."

"That does it! He brought me to this point!" I smiled casually when I spoke, "And when I say no...I mean it!"

Then I moved my right foot to hit his shin, the pain immediately making him let me go as he jumped up and down, holding his right foot and screaming 'ow!' over and over which I thought was very funny.

Then I quickly unwrapped myself from his whip so I could try to get to the vehicle. But now the guy was irritated as he grabbed his whip that he used to grab my right ankle, making me fall on the ground.

I tried to crawl away but he pulled his whip to himself, thus dragging me to him. When I was close, he bent down to cover my mouth and wrap his left arm around my shoulders as I closed my eyes shut again.

"Well, you're certainly a wild one, ain't ya?" he whispered, his breath on my ear making me want to retch. "Looks like I'm gonna have to be your tamer."

"He's going to kidnap me! Toffee, guys, please help!"

Suddenly, even though he had both hands on me, I could feel his whip moving around my body on its own.

"His whip is magical. He's making it wrap around me so I can't move!"

Soon my arms were stuck to my sides and my legs were pressed together, making me feel helpless and terror-stricken.

He was about to pick me up, but then, the whip lost its grip on me to both his bewilderment and my surprise.

I used this opportunity as I moved my right arm, then I suckered punched that fool in the face that he held onto as I freed both of my arms to unwrap the whip off of my legs.

When I stood up, I looked at the whip on the ground which gave me the idea that I should take it with me because I knew that jerk shouldn't be allowed to have something like that to attack people.

With my mind made up, I picked up the whip and started running to the RV, wanting to get out of town ASAP.

The harasser removed his hands off his face and looked at me.

"Oh, no, you don't!" he growled. Just as I had opened the door, he grabbed my wrists from behind. "I'm not done with you!"

Then I felt my wrists free and heard the harasser grunting. I turned around to see that a stranger had the guy's hands behind his back. This new person wore a familiar black cloak that I saw on the first day I came to Magicia.

"You have no right laying your hands on her."

"I know that voice! Toffee!" I smiled in utmost relief, my eyes pricking with tears of joy at Toffee's arrival. "He came to my rescue...again."

"Now I'm going to teach you some manners," Toffee said before he hit the guy in the neck, making him unconscious.

Toffee looked at me, his yellow eyes visible under his hood. "Are you all right?"

"I am, now that you're here."

"I saw you in danger with my binoculars and came rushing."

I blushed as I looked at the ground in front of me.

"Thank you for saving me, Toff."

Toffee nodded. "Of course, but let us make ourselves scarce before he comes to."

"Yeah, let's scram," I agreed as I climbed inside the RV. "Come on, let's pick up the others."

Toffee sat in the passenger's seat before we drove away from the ko'd harasser.

"I'm sorry I made you come after me," I said regretfully as I continued driving.

"It's not for you to be sorry. You didn't know someone would attack you. Besides, it's over and we have the transportation we need to pass through town undetected. So let us leave all of this behind us," he advised, gently patting my head, making me grin.

"Gladly."

Finally we arrived at the spot in the forest where the others were. I rolled my window down to see the guys whom I smiled at.

"Wanna ride?"

"Aurora," Berries and Ruby said in relief.

"You're all right," Choco announced.

"Thanks to Toffee," I said.

"What happened to the guy who attacked you?" Sapphire asked.

"He's unconscious," Toffee answered. "He shouldn't be a problem again. Now, please let us be on our way."

The group nodded as they climbed inside the back.

"All right, Aurora, if you would be so kind," Toffee grinned.

"With pleasure."

I started the engines and drove through the town without any difficulty, then we put the town behind us.

During the ride, Choco came to the front, his right hand on Toffee's seat.

"Say, now that we're out, should we leave this RV behind?"

"I don't think we should be so wasteful," Toffee denied softly. "In case we come by any more humans towns, we could use this RV again."

"You mean, we're riding in this thing the whole trip?" Sapphire asked, not liking the sound of this.

"We can't have any fights with humans, Sapphire. We just need this until we reach the temple."

Sapphire silently groaned as he moved to the back.

"Does he hate riding?" I asked.

"Well, this is the first time he's ridden in anything," Choco said.

"But he likes to stretch his legs and run," Toffee added. "So being inside for so long makes him stir crazy, but he'll need to accept it. This RV gives us a safety precaution."

Honestly, I understood how Sapphire felt. I didn't like sitting inside for so long, either, but Toffee was right. We did not want people seeing us.

Then Toffee put his left hand on my right shoulder.

"I'll take the wheel if you'd like," he offered.

"But I thought you couldn't drive."

"I learned from watching you."

"But what if we see human towns?"

"Then I'll let you take over should we see any."

"Well...as long as you don't mind."

I sat in the passenger's seat as Toffee took the wheel. I watched him drive which he was doing very well to my amazement.

"Wow, Toffee, you're a natural."

"Thank you."

"Toffee is a fast learner. Is there anything he can't do?"

Truth be told, I was happy he could drive because I, myself, am not fond of driving. Besides, I wanted to be able to enjoy the new sights of Magicia on our way to the temple.

I looked in the mirror as we drove further away from town that was out of view, then I thought of how rather peacful the city people were aside from that harasser.

"They were polite enough... I wish I had looked into their eyes to see what their souls were like..."

Back at the town, the black haired man grunted as he came around, rubbing the back of his sore neck.

"What hit me?" he moaned as he sat up.

Then he remembered the guy in the dark cloak.

"Him," he growled, clenching his left fist.

Then he heard a ringing in his right pocket. He pulled out his moon-shaped phone that he answered.

"What?" he demanded.

"Griffin. You've been away a long time. What happened?"

"Never mind. I'm on my way back."

"Yes, sire."

He hung up his cell phone, but he couldn't get over that a stranger had knocked him out like that.

"Obviously, he doesn't know what he's dealing with, but even so...I'd like to teach him some manners," he hissed, imagining he was crushing the cloaked stranger in his right hand.

Aurora's POV

We drove on and on for hours until sun down, then we stopped by some hills to stop for the night.

When the others were asleep, Toffee and I sat on the RV's roof to watch the moon and stars.

"Really, I'm grateful for your help back there, Toff," I said shyly, my left leg resting on the edge of the roof, my hands resting on my bent right leg.

"It was my pleasure," Toffee grinned. "I enjoyed giving him that he deserved."

"So did I. You should've seen how he jumped up and down when I kicked his shin."

Toffee chuckled. "The others wish they could've seen that as well. Didn't you also punch him in the face?"

"I did," I answered proudly with my eyes closed. I remembered the whip that I have hanging on my black utility belt. "I'm also very pleased with the souvenir."

"Well, after what you went through, you deserve a little something. Plus, I think that whip can prove to be very useful in its own way."

"Yes, I think you're right," I said softly as I thought of how to use the whip properly.

I touched the white anti-magic stone on my neck.

"I'm very grateful to Master Eru for giving me this. It's the only thing that saved me from the whip's magical hold on me."

"Yes, Master Eru was right to give it to you."

Toffee looked at the sky, wondering what that harasser thought of the whip's magic failing to secure me.

"I hope he's not smart enough to know she has the anti-magic stone."

Little did we know, Choco was awake, sitting on the ladder to the roof, keeping his long ears open to our conversation.

"I should give Master Eru my deepest gratitude when we return home," I said as I looked at the sky, too. "You know, it was weird. Other than the harasser, no one else asked me about my background, not that I'm complaining."

"Well, Sapphire thinks they're the kind of people who only care what goes on in their own lives."

"Then that's good luck for us."

Berries woke up, then her tired eyes spotted Choco on the ladder, making her get up before she stepped up to the ladder. When Choco saw her, he put his finger to his lips. Berries tilted her head, wondering what he was up to.

Choco made room for Berries to stand on the ladder next to him for her to see Toffee and me sitting next to each other. At first Berries didn't feel right eavesdropping, but...curiosity got the better of her, too.

"Say, Toff, what happens when this RV runs out of fuel and it won't work anymore?" I asked.

"Run out of fuel?" he echoed, wondering what I meant.

"Well, vehicles run on fuel and they need to be refilled every now and then."

"Oh, no, the vehicles in your world need fuel, but the vehicles here only need to be recharged through electricity."

"Electric cars?"

"Yes, all it takes to power up an RV like this is the Jolt Bolt which I have with us in case we ever need it," Toffee grinned.

"Leave it to you to be prepared," I remarked.

"That's another thing you and I have in common," Toffee smirked with his eyes closed.

I smiled as I looked up at the beautiful stars again, the gentle wind making me close my eyes as the breeze blew my hair.

I didn't see Toffee looking at me with my hair flowing in the wind which made him smile, his face softening in a way it never did before to Berries and Choco's notice.

The two hares felt now was a good time for them to hide back down before they were spotted, so they quietly walked down the ladder.

Toffee and I stargazed for a while...but then that harasser's red eye haunted me. I knew he was deadly...but his soul was deadlier than those three thieves'. In fact, he was as malicious as Titan.

Remembering his touch on me made me flinch to Toffee's notice.

"I'm okay," I assured quietly, my hands on my shoulders. "I...just can't get over how dangerous that harasser was. His soul told me how very cruel he was..."

Toffee looked at me with sympathy before he wrapped his right arm around me, bringing me close to him as he rubbed his right hand on my right shoulder.

"Don't think about it. He's miles away from here and he won't trouble us ever again," he promised.

I took Toffee's word for it, letting his touch make me feel safe as I closed my eyes.

"Toffee, you are my hero."

After a few minutes of his caressing, I was feeling very tired. The next thing I knew, I felt my head resting on his lap as he wrapped my cloak around me to keep me warm.

I would've told him that I was going down in the RV to sleep with the others...but when he had his right hand on my right shoulder that he rubbed again, I gave in and happily stayed where I was.

Toffee's POV

I looked at Aurora whom I had laying on my lap. It made me remember the first time I had her on my lap like this back at the castle on our last night there.

I was very grateful I had rescued her from that awful harasser. I would've despised to think what he could have done with her.

Frankly, there was a part of me that wished I could keep her by my side at all times...but I knew that that wasn't an option.

"She did need my help today, but she's not frail... I've seen her strength and I have to trust her to take care of herself."

I sat on the RV roof, keeping Aurora resting peacefully as I lightly stroked my left hand on her hair, grinning from how the moonbeams made her facial skin glow like the moon itself that made me reach my right hand to touch her right cheek that I gently rubbed with my thumb as I enjoyed her soft touch.

"Maybe I can't make myself her 24-hour bodyguard...but I wish I could keep her by my side at all times so I could have her presence always... But hopefully, it'll come after this is all over."

While Aurora was resting, I heard her mumble something in her sleep.

"You're my hero."

When I heard her say that, I felt astounded and very warm...

I didn't know if she was aware she had said that, but I grinned as I found myself holding her hair that I held against my face for a few enjoyable minutes.