CHAPTER 17:
RETURN TO EAST ELENCIA
As they sailed westward, Justin kept wondering about that creature they saw in the mountains. Although it was creepy, it seemed so human. Could it have been the spirit of the murdered Uolegna Chief? And did it cause that avalanche, or was it trying to warn them of it?
By evening, the boat had reached East Elencia, and was docked somewhere on the eastern coast, near J Base. Justin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Gaia was still inside the tree. But how long would it remain that way?
"I say we just torch the sucker!" Rapp suggested. "I mean, it's a tree, right?"
"Rapp," Feena began. "Do you know how big of a fire it would take to burn a tree that size?"
"Hey," Justin exclaimed, interrupting the argument. "What's this?" He pointed to a stone plaque on the ground. It seemed like some sort of memorial, and it read:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIENDS, JUSTIN, FEENA, SUE, RAPP, MULLEN, AND LEEN, WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AT SEA. MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.
"Oh, I forgot," Justin said to himself. "Everyone thinks we've all died." As the group read the plaque, Justin noticed that it said absolutely nothing about Nana, Saki, or Mio. He turned to them, and saw them walking behind a large boulder. Justin became intensely curious, and snuck up to listen in on their conversation.
"That plaque...." he heard Saki begin. "Nobody...even...mentioned...us...on that plaque."
"Saki," Mio began. "Are...are you...crying?"
"O-of...of course, not! Me? Crying?!" But as she said this, tears were visibly streaming down her face. She suddenly stopped playing pretend and let it all out. "Argh! The whole world thinks that we're gone forever! And...nobody even cares! Nobody even knew we existed, unless we were shouting orders! Even my own parents didn't care about me!"
"What do you mean?" Nana asked.
"Wh-when I was a little girl, my parents never acknowledged me! I was an only child, and I still couldn't be noticed! So, when I was thirteen, I ran away from home for a few days to see if they would notice. And, one night, I looked in my house from the living room window, and saw my mother and father, exactly the same as they had been before I ran away. Seeing that they never really cared for me, I never went back, and joined the army."
"I didn't know you ran away from home," Nana said. "So did I."
"What?"
"When I was young, my parents never even knew I existed, either. I hated my parents. They were both alcoholics, and my father constantly abused me."
"Abused you?" Mio repeated.
"Yup. So, when I was nine, I ran away from home and joined Garlyle."
"You were...nine?!" Saki asked, amazed. "What about you, Mio?"
"Oh, I never ran away from my parents."
"Of course not," Nana began. "You're too well-behaved to do that."
"Well, actually, I never ran away from my parents because I never knew them. I grew up in an orphanage."
"You were an orphan?"
"Yes, and I hated it there. All of the other kids would tease me about my glasses, and called me ugly, and all sorts of other stuff. And, do you know what it's like to be in an orphanage, and watch every kid being adopted except you?"
As Justin listened to their stories, it made more sense to him why they were always so nasty and mean. And who could blame them, he thought to himself. They had lived their entire lives without any acknowledgement, without any love, without...any...friends. He thought back to when he saved them from the manticore. That must have been the only time they received kindness from anyone.
Saki suddenly looked behind the boulder and spotted Justin. "What do you want?"
"I...I overheard your conversation." She only stared crossly at him. But then, Mio came around.
"Hey, Justin," she began. "I've...been wondering. Why did you actually save us from the manticore? Aren't you mad at us for all we've done to you? There are times when we could have killed you!"
"Well," he began. "Maybe there really was no reason. I have to admit, you three were a big pain in the butt at times, but you're still human, aren't you?"
Mio blushed slightly. Maybe the world isn't completely devoid of kindness, she thought to herself. Maybe the world did still have some, if looked for it hard enough.
TO BE CONTINUED
RETURN TO EAST ELENCIA
As they sailed westward, Justin kept wondering about that creature they saw in the mountains. Although it was creepy, it seemed so human. Could it have been the spirit of the murdered Uolegna Chief? And did it cause that avalanche, or was it trying to warn them of it?
By evening, the boat had reached East Elencia, and was docked somewhere on the eastern coast, near J Base. Justin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Gaia was still inside the tree. But how long would it remain that way?
"I say we just torch the sucker!" Rapp suggested. "I mean, it's a tree, right?"
"Rapp," Feena began. "Do you know how big of a fire it would take to burn a tree that size?"
"Hey," Justin exclaimed, interrupting the argument. "What's this?" He pointed to a stone plaque on the ground. It seemed like some sort of memorial, and it read:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIENDS, JUSTIN, FEENA, SUE, RAPP, MULLEN, AND LEEN, WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AT SEA. MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.
"Oh, I forgot," Justin said to himself. "Everyone thinks we've all died." As the group read the plaque, Justin noticed that it said absolutely nothing about Nana, Saki, or Mio. He turned to them, and saw them walking behind a large boulder. Justin became intensely curious, and snuck up to listen in on their conversation.
"That plaque...." he heard Saki begin. "Nobody...even...mentioned...us...on that plaque."
"Saki," Mio began. "Are...are you...crying?"
"O-of...of course, not! Me? Crying?!" But as she said this, tears were visibly streaming down her face. She suddenly stopped playing pretend and let it all out. "Argh! The whole world thinks that we're gone forever! And...nobody even cares! Nobody even knew we existed, unless we were shouting orders! Even my own parents didn't care about me!"
"What do you mean?" Nana asked.
"Wh-when I was a little girl, my parents never acknowledged me! I was an only child, and I still couldn't be noticed! So, when I was thirteen, I ran away from home for a few days to see if they would notice. And, one night, I looked in my house from the living room window, and saw my mother and father, exactly the same as they had been before I ran away. Seeing that they never really cared for me, I never went back, and joined the army."
"I didn't know you ran away from home," Nana said. "So did I."
"What?"
"When I was young, my parents never even knew I existed, either. I hated my parents. They were both alcoholics, and my father constantly abused me."
"Abused you?" Mio repeated.
"Yup. So, when I was nine, I ran away from home and joined Garlyle."
"You were...nine?!" Saki asked, amazed. "What about you, Mio?"
"Oh, I never ran away from my parents."
"Of course not," Nana began. "You're too well-behaved to do that."
"Well, actually, I never ran away from my parents because I never knew them. I grew up in an orphanage."
"You were an orphan?"
"Yes, and I hated it there. All of the other kids would tease me about my glasses, and called me ugly, and all sorts of other stuff. And, do you know what it's like to be in an orphanage, and watch every kid being adopted except you?"
As Justin listened to their stories, it made more sense to him why they were always so nasty and mean. And who could blame them, he thought to himself. They had lived their entire lives without any acknowledgement, without any love, without...any...friends. He thought back to when he saved them from the manticore. That must have been the only time they received kindness from anyone.
Saki suddenly looked behind the boulder and spotted Justin. "What do you want?"
"I...I overheard your conversation." She only stared crossly at him. But then, Mio came around.
"Hey, Justin," she began. "I've...been wondering. Why did you actually save us from the manticore? Aren't you mad at us for all we've done to you? There are times when we could have killed you!"
"Well," he began. "Maybe there really was no reason. I have to admit, you three were a big pain in the butt at times, but you're still human, aren't you?"
Mio blushed slightly. Maybe the world isn't completely devoid of kindness, she thought to herself. Maybe the world did still have some, if looked for it hard enough.
TO BE CONTINUED
