Bab 21: I Remember The Fairy At The Pond
Hello there, Agnes my name, or it had been since about week.
As you may have guessed, we were still walking. I felt like we were getting closer though. I was not quite sure.
Was this what god wanted? Put me in this world so I could take a look at the beautiful scenery? Seemed like it.
I wished that the circumstances were better at least. The blood and sweat, stuck the fabric to my skin, making me feel itchy. Any sudden movement hurt and I was using the world's worst transportation mode.
The sun had no intent on making it easier. As if paid by ray, it kept bombarding us with its light, thus turning the world warmer and warmer.
"Let's rest at the lake over there," I urged the boy carrying me.
The lake I was referring to glimmered like diamonds in the sky under the evening sun. The water was almost completely tranquil, only the occasional leaf betrayed its clarity, creating a concentration of rings, rippling the surface.
He gave me a nod, indicating he had heard me, and walked in the general direction. As we got closer, I gradually got off his back, putting effort into not hurting myself. While he supported me with his shoulder, I limped towards the water.
"Alright, I can walk the rest of the way."
He looked at me, and squinted his eyes, "are you sure?"
"Wait, don't tell me my irresistible charm made you unable to leave me."
"Wha," he pushed me away, and took a few steps back, "don't misunderstand, I was just trying to help you," he explained, while fidgeting.
I flew a steps forward and landed in the cold but refreshing water. The momentum created a big splash and spewed everywhere.
"You're being a bit too rough there," I complained and massaged my neck. Some droplets had hit my eyes, making my vision foggy, so I tried rubbing them.
"Ah sorry, I didn't mean to."
As my sight began to return, I squinted because of the brightness from the sun working overtime and automatically jerked my head to the water in the hopes of protecting my eyes in the shade.
Thus, I had inadvertently caught my own reflection in the lake.
"Hello? Are you fine," the boy asked, but I didn't answer.
It was the very first time I had seen what I looked like in this world.
"What are you doing," he called out again, but I had fallen in a daze.
The person I was looking at was a delicate girl, who was around 15 years old. Her long wavy hair, and eyes that glowed blue made her quite attractive. Even though she had prominent dark circles and was very thin, it could not hide her natural beauty.
"Hello?"
I let out a hollow laugh, and then promptly slammed my fist on the picture painted before me.
The impact created huge waves and caused the fish to swiftly swim away. The loud sound startled the boy, making him shrink away and swallow the question he had just decided to ask.
Like on a broken mirror, my reflection distorted and was torn into many piece, until they were washed away by the waves.
Still, I had already gotten irritated.
The reflection I saw was no other than the person that I had met in my dream, before I was ambushed.
The same high cheekbones and upturned eyes. There was no mistaking it.
I let out a sigh and massaged my glabella, as I realized that another hurdle had appeared in my life.
I quickly washed my face, hair and feet. Afterwards I simply got up.
"Are you done already?"
"Yes, I'm not in the mood anymore. Let's go."
Just as I was about to jump onto his in his arms, I heard another splash. Unlike mine, which was strong and overbearing, this one one was like a caress. A silent breeze. We both did a synchronized head turn, only to see that the source was hidden behind a protruding tree branch.
I turned towards the boy and saw that he had done the same again. An awkward silence hung between us, making me gulp. I guess we had the same thing on my mind.
"Should we check it out," he whispered.
"I think we should,"I replied, with a library-approved volume, "pick me up."
And so he did. We then sneaked towards the sound.
As we got closer I could make out a human silhouette.
It was young girl, wearing something similar to a nun dress, only a bit more liberal. Maybe even blasphemic. Her hair, including her eyebrows and lashes were pure white and her eyes held more tranquility than the lake. The girl had a small stature but could have been older than she looked.
She was silently sitting on the elevated ground, swinging her bare legs on the surface of the water.
It was like I was watching the fairy queen who had descended into the mortal world to bless us. For a moment, I thought I had actually walked into a painting. It was almost too fake to be true.
I wasn't the only person baffled by the scenery, because the one who was supposed to carry me had lost his strength and kept on gawking at the young girl. Not even a solid kick could make him snap out of the hypnotic state he was in.
The girl realizing she was being observed, listlessly scanned us from head to toe, while her head occasionally swayed from side to side. Her glimmering emerald eyes, which were only half open, were still bigger than most and made it look like she was in a dreamy state.
That single action had already caused my partner to tense up, like he was staring into medusa's eyes, petrified to his very soul.
I mean, I too felt that this scene was quite ethereal, but did he have to overreact like that?
The girl whose eyes were half shut already, closed even more, and with a high voice, that could be mistaken for choir music, she asked, "who are you guys?"
Since I was the only person capable of answering the question at the moment, I simply replied, "we are two travelers."
Her eyebrows scrunched up as if skeptical of what I said. I used my most innocent smile I could muster to show that we were no threat, but somehow she just grew more vigilant.
Wait. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I sensed that suspicion wasn't the only thing she felt. There was something else. It was very very miniscule, though.
Soon enough, that feeling disappeared and all that I saw was a smile so bright, it could summon an angel.
Stop it, she are killing the boy, he couldn't handle this much stimulation.
And sure enough, his final strength had left him and I slipped through his hands, causing me to fall on my bum. The dull thud awoke his mind and he immediately tried to help me up.
I hissed at the traitor and told him to stay were he was.
Seeing our little antics, the girl covered her mouth. Unable to hold back, she let out a cute giggle. Her once dreamy state was replaced with an innocent and bubbly one. In an effort to help me, she stretched her hand to pull me up.
"My name is Seraph, what about you?"
I took her offer and grabbed her wrist that were surprisingly cold, "my name's Agnes. It stands for pure and innocent," I answered.
With a slight jerk she hauled me from the ground, and my partner came at the perfect time to catch me in his arms and placed me on his back again. Seeing his actions, Seraph let out a small smile, and also asked him his name.
"My name is Gerald," he enthusiastically blurted out, then immediately realized his mistake and covered his mouth. He took a quick glance at me and I just sighed.
I was baffled by his stupidity.
"How come you are traveling together?"
"Because we both had lost the people close to us, we felt that doing that was only right," I said, my voice unable to hide the bitterness.
While I was putting on an act Gerald glared at me, trying to express that I am the cause for the death of his friends, which in my opinion was a little bit selfish, as his group had also killed mine.
Still, the most important thing was that I had convinced the girl. She stared at me, and I could see her tears welling up, forming little pearls and threatening to fall.
"That is so tragic, I wish there was something I could do for you," she wiped her tears, "Oh wait there actually is, you seem to be hurt, let me help you once more."
Without letting me process what she meant, she struck her palm out and a pale light surrounded her hand.
The moment she touched me, I felt a cooling sensation spreading through me. A slight glow overlapped my body, illuminating the surroundings, and dyeing the nature turquoise. The cold feeling coated my skin, it then dug through my flesh and finally engraved itself within my bones. My nerves, which felt muddy the whole time, retained their former glory and had become clear.
Using my eyes, I was able to see my wounds closing, while the inner bleeding also disappeared in a visible pace.
The sudden change in my condition caused me to let out a silent whimper.
"Is that magic," the boy asked curiously.
"Yes it is. Healing magic to be exact."
The bleeding had stopped and my tendons and broken bones reconnected. My skin which was black and blue had turned into a pasty white with a healthy glow. The numerous abrasions and lacerations I collected from all the beatings had left without leaving a scar.
A surge of energy stirred my whole body.
I moved my hands and tried making a fist. There was no problem at all.
Stunned by what she had just said, he tensed up. Suddenly his voice went an octave lower, and he grimly asked, "wait, healing magic? How long does it take for her to be healed?"
"Now," I replied in a swift manner, without giving the girl time to even think of an answer.
"Shit," he cried out and reached for his blade, but I was faster.
With both my hands I lunged forward, grabbing the hilt. Since I was still on his back, we both lost our balance and fell to the ground. Stumbling around, I tried to find my footing and in the midst of our little struggle, I slit his throat.
Blood came out gushing like a flood. Bravely, he tired covering the open wound with his hands, but no matter which part he held onto, it could not stop the blood leaking through his slender fingers trying to act like a dam.
He writhed in agony. He yelled, but the yell never left his mouth, as even though his teeth clattered and his tongue moved like a snake slithering through the grass, his windpipes remained still.
If he had known that this would be his fate, perhaps he would have chosen a more appropriate final word, but just like his death now, the past couldn't be changed.
Soon, the scarlet-red flow began to slacken, but it had no intention of stopping. The lonely drops of blood knocked on the brittle and dry ground, sounding like a rain in a cozy autumn squall. His chest dropped one more time, only to never rise again.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and basked in the new found vigor.
It had ended as fast as it began, such that I didn't even have to stabilize my breath. With my arms mounted on my hips, and my nose held up high, I showcased my newest creation.
Meanwhile, Seraph stood there, unmoving and with her hand stretched out while her left eye was twitching.
Thinking that she might misunderstand I waved my arms as if trying to fly.
"I know what you are thinking, but I really am not a psychopath," I told her hoping I would get through to her.
I moved towards her, while she stepped backward, with her outstretched arm, she fended off my approach.
"Uh, would you be mad, if I didn't believe you," she said with her squeaky voice.
"No, no you don't understand, he would have killed me if I didn't do it first," I kept waving my hands.
She took another step back, only to collide with a tree. Seeing that there was no space left for retreat, she said in a high pitch, "Yes, okay, I believe you," and then drew a line in the dirt, "but don't get closer than this."
I threw my hands up in the air, "alright, I won't."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone