After putting their bag on the room where they gonna stay for tonight, Hayden and Zane went to walk around the village. Looking at the condition of this village. Just like what Lala said, this village is drought. They had to rely on the cassava plant to keep on living. They also had bred a chicken and duck, but all of it looks so skinny.
"Do you have any idea on how we can help this village?" Hayden asks. He did not have the heart to look at a few kids who play on the arid ground with a happy face.
"Well...If I can find the source of water, sure I can help them but.." Zane lowered his head and sigh deeply.
"I can call the clouds but my power is limited. I can't make rains to fall."
True. He didn't have the power to call rain. He could only call the thunder and its package with the wind. While Zane needs a source of water to make it work. Otherwise, they can't do much with their power.
"Hmm..should we dig the ground and find the water source? I can hear very low water ticking sound underneath this ground." Zane gives a suggestion.
Hayden looks at him and then look down on his own body. Touching his scar which just healing a few days ago. "I think that a good idea too. But we can't stay here too long. So we need to dig fast and help them with what we can."
Zane nods his head in agreement.
"Maybe we should start in the morning. Now, we should help with the preparation for tonight." Hayden said and head back to the center of this village.
When arriving at the open field in the center of the village, they see a few villagers woman and elders lifting the firewood and gather it at the center of the field.
"Let me help you." Hayden halts one of the grannies who lift the firewood with wobbly legs.
Smiling to him, she said. "Thank you, young man."
Hayden smiling at her back, "Sure." and he took the firewood from her hand. After he and Zane gather all the firewood and gather it on the field center, he uses his abilities to create a spark of lightning on his palm and create a fire to lit up the bonfire.
A few girls look at him with an admiring gaze. They keep giggling and ogling him. They did not find it weird or surprise. To them, they are performers, so they must have a trick to how Hayden can create the fire.
"Wow! You are great, mister." One man takes a sit in the between Hayden and Zane. He is quite young and looks a bit..shabby.
"Who are you?" Hayden ask. He only took a glance to the man and divert his eyes back to the fire.
"Hm? My name..Farrell. Farrell Miller." He shyly outstretches his hand out to him.
Hayden did not refuse it, he looks a quite good man to his eyes. Also, there's a familiar feeling around him. "Hayden. Hayden Black." He said while shaking his hand.
"H..Hayden? The General?" His eyes sparkling a bit.
That makes Hayden snapped his head to the man again. Zane also turns his head to the side. Ready to attack him if he meant harm to them.
"Oh, it's really you. I am your admirer. I..I actually from Ivory province. I..I am a merchant who usually comes here to sent supplies that my father asked me to."
Zane curled up his lips a little. "That's a long way for you to sell your goods here." He lifts up his eyebrow to this man named Farrell.
"N..no..I'm not selling it. As I say, I send it. Not selling it." He waves his hand in the air, denied it.
"From Ivory to this village take at least one week for one way. You're wasting your time to come here to send it?" Zane asks with a bit disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah, I know this is sound ridiculous but, my dad owned a farm where we will divide it and send the yield to the poor people. Including in my own province." He said earnestly. He lowered his head a little, staring at the ground.
Zane and Hayden look at him without any word left when suddenly Kyra said, "He said the truth."
She was just come out from the room where Yuina is getting ready with the traditional dress when she heard about the conversation between the weird-looking man with both of her companion.
When she heard about he was from Ivory province, she knew this man telling the truth. Hayden and Zane never went to Ivory province. Even if they come, they only go to the city and not the other areas. The province is much more like this village. Similar to what happened there. The war between Zirconia and Garnet Kingdom a decade ago still has a great impact on Ivory province.
The three-man turning their head to Kyra.
"I know because I too live in Ivory province," Kyra said. She suddenly missing her brother back at home. Did he eat yet? Did he do the chores or did he already dead under his books?
"After we have done with Aquamarine, we're going back to your tribe. I promise you." Hayden said and patted on her back. Knowing that she might be missing her brother.
"Uhn." She nodded her head.
"Er..miss..you're from Ivory too?" Farrell tries to asks while tilting his head a little.
He had long hair and his face is a bit dirt, his clothes also look shabby. One look, he looks so pitiful.
"Yeah. Kyra. Kyra Kyler." She smile at him.
He tugs his hair behind his ear and lowered his head with a smile on his face. He looks cute somehow. Maybe he's young.
And that is when Kyra notice that he wear a ring on his middle finger. What more interesting is the ring is carved with a stone on it. A yellow stone. Same metal with both the man who sat beside him.
She gasps loudly.
"Y…you!" Kyra points her finger on his hand making Hayden and Zane also divert his eyes to where she pointed.
"Huh?" He looks a bit lost to see her panic reaction. He did not do anything at all to her.
"Night...Nightfall...Dragon." She stammering a bit.
"What?" Hayden, Zane and even Farrell look at her, knitting their eyebrows.
…
Yuina looks herself on the mirror that Lala put in front her. She wearing a traditional dress. Its been a while since last she could dress up like this. Somehow, it reminds her of her princess life like before.
"I don't have a dagger, but I have two rusty swords here. My father used to use it when he was in the military." Lala comes in the room and gives her a rusty sword as what she said.
"It's okay. This will do, too." Yuina smile at her.
"You know, you had such a beautiful face. It feels like I watch a princess or an angel right now." She praises her honestly.
"Pffft..thank you for your compliment. But I'm not neither of those two options." She tries to hold her tears when she remembers her father, her castle.
"Yeah..maybe you beyond that." She went to Yuina's back and fix on her hair ornament before she continues. "It's time. We should go out now."
Yuina nodded. She stands up and follows Lala from behind.
Once she was out, all eyes fell on her. They all enchanted by her beauty and that last long until she standing at the center of the circle and behind the bonfire.
She clearing her throat and signaling the elders that she's ready.
…
Farrell on the other hands, when he saw the girl with a red traditional dress come out and standing facing their direction, her head suddenly feels a bit heavy. A rough voice suddenly comes out from his mind.
"Farrell Miller, I am Nightfall Dragon. Hereby, I shall lend you my power and abilities to protect and devoted to the Red Demon King. You are now the true guardian of me."
"Wha…what?" He said making the three of them turn to him.
"What?" they ask in sync.
"No..I just heard a voice. What power that he talk about?" He confuses while rubbing his head a little.
With that said, the three of them raises an eyebrow to him.
"It must be him."
"Yeah."
"Let's discuss this after the show."
And with that, all the four of them divert their eyes back to the girl with two swords ready in her position to dance.
"She's beautiful," Farrell said without blinking his eyes.
"An angel." Zane also drooling a bit.
"I know. I feel like a mother who sees her daughter get married off." Kyra said while wiping her corner of eyes. Suddenly feels so sensitive.
"She shouldn't touch that blade." Hayden squinted his eyes, worried.
Again, the two of them turn to look at Hayden with a look. 'Seriously, Hayden??' except for one person who looks confused with his word.
: )