18 Chapter 18 - Flower (2)

Ruby inspected her reflection on a mirror, her lips painted with light shade of red, her glimmering eyes looking enchanting as she swirls her dark blue long dress. Satisfied with the way she looks, Ruby turned around and was about to reach her leather bag when she felt a scorching eyes staring deep on her.

Turning around, she found Alin piercing gaze while crossing both her hands, eyes squinting with fury flashes around her electric blue eyes. Startled, Ruby rubbed her chest a few times.

"What do you want?"

Alin inspects Ruby from head to toe, the only time she tries to dress herself up like this is when she meets him. Alin knew all along that he never treats Ruby as someone special, he respects her and she admires him. Nothing more than that.

Despite knowing that he never treats her better than the rest of the women he met, Ruby still tries to find time between her busy daily activities and routines to visit him whenever she arrives at the Land of Qye.

"Where are you going?"

It's Ruby's turn to squint her eyes now, she just shakes her head in disbelief, "You know all along, so why ask?" Ruby turned around and moved towards the door, her hand tightening the knob when she smiled in suggestive manner at Alin and whispered, "you'll understand someday", she opened the door and left Alin behind.

It was a bustling day in the city, numerous creatures roaming around in the middle of daylight. Creatures with horns, claws or wings, dark and light skin, those with beak or canine, it wasn't even the start of the Lantern Festival yet, but the crowd had caused her to turn a little bit dizzy.

Taking a few steps to a quiet alley, she brings her step deeper inside the promised location they had exchanged inside letters, the deeper she goes inside the path, the less creature she could find.

Ruby was about to move forward when she felt a dark aura ahead of her, raising her head, her eyes widened in fear upon a vicious sight in front of her.

A dark lump of creature stands blocking her way, its white blank pupils staring at her as he lets out a fog of breaths in rage, he proceeds ahead with limp steps while he licks his bloodied lips, advancing towards her.

She was about to turn around and run away, when she saw and felt a hand obstructing and covering her eyes from behind. Her breath jolted in surprise upon feeling the cold and smooth skin, but his soothing whisper caused her to silence herself in an instant.

"It's a Night Spirit. Try to calm yourself."

Ruby nods her head. His voice turned cold, directed at the spirit.

"Go. Don't make me tarnish my hand."

A shrieking voice could be heard for around a minute before it turned silent at once, it smelled like something burnt for a while before her nose hit a light fragrance. Once the silence stretched for another ten seconds he let go of his hand and turned her body around, facing his light comforting green eyes, she couldn't stop the smile stretched on her face. 

"Didn't I tell you not to use Torwiq inside Qye? The Night Spirit would always follow those who could see."

Ruby lowered her head, looking ashamed for not following his words well, despite his words filled with scold at her inattentiveness, her smile still seen. "It was my fault. The effect doesn't run out yet," she raised her head and smiled up at him.

He let out a deep sigh, looking helpless. He closed his eyes for a while as a dark blue of dust swirled around his forehead, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at Ruby's gem-like orbs. Before she could even prepare herself, he flicked her forehead, the dark blue dust turned white and it rushed ahead to flow through and disappeared within his index finger.

"Next time, follow as I instructed. It was fortunate that I had arrived, if not you could lose your mind from being sucked out by him," he turned around, leaving her behind. Ruby follows his step while nodding her head at his words.

It was indeed fortunate that he was right behind her.

"Was it Hufflin or Huftion you were looking for? Both have different locations and price, it would cost around fifty turvi to 5 cos for one stalk of Hufflin and probably twenty silver for a single seed of Huftion," he guided her along the unstable path.

"You would want to obtain at least ten stalks of Hufflin and fifteen Huftion, right?" he takes a glimpse down at her, who nods her head in agreement.

"I need Hufflin to strengthen Errian and Huftion to create Lurra"

He stops his step, eyebrow raised upon her words, "Lurra potion? Didn't you create one last time?"

"I need to create another one."

His eyes flashed with anger, lips curled in question, "because you drink the last one."

"No. I failed the last one."

"Try to fool me Ruby, you know it wouldn't work."

Ruby stares up at him, eyes filled with guilt.

He grits his teeth, closing his eyes and slowly takes a deep breath.

"Sure, I understand. It is part of a healer's rules of conduct," he grabs Ruby's hand, tightening his grip, "Let's go, we need to buy those two plants before sunset."

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At first, Artha was just teasing her and said an unreasonable excuse to get her out of the lake. Although the lake had always been empty, he didn't want to risk someone else watching her bathing inside the lake. Afterwards, he couldn't find the right excuse for fooling her, so he decided to bring her to a place called Cruan.

It was a vast field with various types of flowers and different colours inhabiting the place. The scene would always mesmerise him whenever he came to visit with his mother. It's been almost five years since the last time he ever stepped near this place, truthfully he doesn't know why he wanted to show her this scenery.

Perhaps, it was because of her beautiful smile last night, when her eyes lit up upon the sight, glittering with wonders towards the fireflies.

He wanted a secret glance of that smile once again.

Among thousand different flowers and plants, there's a few called Perin scattered around the field. It's a five petals flower with light emerald colours exuding a calming scent, those who inhaled the scent would feel immediately refreshed.

Artha grabs her soft hand and drags her before stopping in front of the plant.

Raiene was confused. She initially felt tired from walking, but standing in front of this magnificent scenery had drained all her fatigue and a smile slowly lit up on her face. The beautiful gradation of colours had amazed her greatly, he grabbed her hand tight and dragged her, stopping in front of a plant.

Seeing her reaction, a slight smile could be seen and a trace of warmth flashed within his eyes, though it disappeared within seconds.

Felt refreshed from inhaling the scent that surrounds her, she suspected the scent was emitted from the flowers in front of her. Raiene's doubts of him slowly vanished, she decided to trust this guard. As a person who admired the Land of Qye, the fact she managed to interact with a guard from the Land of Qye had caused her heart to pound with excitement.

"What's your name?"

Raiene had concluded inside her head, this guy by 'accident' caught her bathing inside the lake and thus not entirely a bad person. Staring at the figure before her, his cold and unapproachable stance still caused her to shiver, but he didn't scare her. Raiene had always tried not to simply label someone from their appearance, she had learnt this lesson since she was a child.

Uncle Yudril had a big round eye and chubby cheeks, his unkempt short hair was always visible. The villagers inside Arrenquile had always viewed him as lazy and dirty, they never tried to interact with him. No one truly knows he spent half a day managing and nurturing his field, because water is considered sacred inside Arrenquile, he could only bathe around midnight to get rid of the dirt scent.

On the other hand, Queen Asla, her father's first wife and the woman who holds the highest authority inside Arrenquile. Rumoured to be wise and generous, her gaze holds enormous nobility and elegance.

However, not a single one of them witnessed how Queen Asla had once treated Raiene, she had always find ways to torture and blame her for nothing, simply to anger her. Stabbing at her most painful wound, stated with a convincing voice, perhaps Raiene was a child her mother had picked up from trash.

Raiene used to think like that as well, being the only black dot on a white paper can do that to her mind. She had always thought perhaps she doesn't share bloodties with her mother, maybe she was being pitied and raised out of kindness. Countless scenarios and reasons shove into her head, not to mention the whispers and rumours going around the castle vicinity.

It sure goes straight to her head. However, her mother always scolded her whenever Raiene brought up those subjects and speculations. Her mother always hugged her tight and whispered calm words while patting her back.

This time she looked up and smiled at him, eyes expectant. Because Estalle had whispered once and Raiene never forgot her mother's words.

Name can define a person, its identity, personality, and its life. So treat it like a precious word whenever you hear their voice bringing power to utter a single name.

Sunlight tracing her facial features, bringing warmth to her surroundings, "Hmm?" she hummed, tilting her head. 

• • ⊱∘────·☽༓☾·────∘⊰ • •

They say follow the words fairy told you, but no one has guaranteed its veracity.

-Excerpt from 'The Essential Book of Human Survival'.

Jonathan Lorth.