41: Complicity

Poc is more vociferous than me. The unstoppable launch of words from his mouth continues, sitting on Haris' shoulder. He's only complaining about on how rude Haris did to him just to snatch the brooch. And it doesn't seem a matter to Haris. Poc's ear though is still bleeding. Everything was fine, just as tranquil as the location's title until I witness Ino's side of cannibalism.

We're standing behind him few steps away. Emia is his meal. I found her head dancing forlorn with the furnace of the bonfire. And her body was totally eaten. Ino is still on progress chewing the arm until to the very tip of Emia's finger. And I know he noticed our presence.

"So! How's the love birds doing?" he said with a smile on his face.

I was trembling, same with Poc. My vision was filled with abhorrent towards him!

"We found the brooch," said Haris like this sudden scene is nothing.

I took the brooch from his hand. "We're doing great!!" and hurled it to Ino. He caught it with single arm to defend his face. The force blew the dust away even the fire turned dead. Vanished. His expression changed, he's now taking things seriously judging from his glare. He threw the brooch back to me more fleet than I did. Haris parried the attack by his wrist. We're both moved backward.

Poc hid inside Haris' coat. And I never caught in my eye how Ino got here in front of me for the space of two seconds! He socked Haris to the stomach. I sway my thigh immediately to kick him, but he leap away to dodge and raid again. He's fast! But we grip his throat by the chain when we provided one step away to approach Ino's attack.

I know it only itched him. He grab our arm with the shackle to heave us up then crash our back down to the sands to clatter. We both cough. He twisted our arms and I rant. He freed us when Haris pulled him down with both arms but he slipped through Haris' fingers and somersaulted to move away. That was our chance to stand up, but we're both worn.

Haris lean on his knees and I'm holding my injured arm, "Ashti... don't be too hasty," he said.

"A steel body huh?" Ino murmured while opening and closing his fist. "And you, Ashti! You have more powers hidden there?" I gnash my teeth. He noticed that I was mocked.

"Come on Ashti~! You know what am I from the first place, right?"

Haris pat my head, and when he did the bonfire lighted up again.

"Calm yourself," he told me with his softest voice. "Ino, you're a god, and was once a hero. I know you're an Alfa, but you said, like Poc you are recouping things for forgiveness. Then why you committed the same crime? Or was it all just a lie..."

Ino is now under Haris' interrogation. And I'm slowly reducing my temper through the song of the waves. Ino set aside his intention to kill. His tail is delighted with the moonlight.

He took a deep breathe, "Then tell me, is it wrong to eat when you're hungry...? Is it wrong to murder just to survive...? If it is, then I don't wanna be right anymore."

"The wrong here is mocking your atonement. Pretending that you've changed but still the same unrighteous being."

"So you expect me to die in starvation? Tsk. Meal time is everyone's precious time, I detest interruption. But the two of you can satisfy my hunger rate more than a hundred percent!"

"Then why Emia?!" Ino delayed his attack. "Don't play rival. I know you had a reason."

His tail fell down dejected. He's looking straight to Haris without flinch with a gloomy face while coming closer to us. Then he pick the brooch from the sand.

"Emia told me to kill her."

I startled. He's playing the brooch with his fingers.

"She's mentally suicidal. If you observed her demeanor changed. Her parents died and soon her friends will proceed to their journey, am I wrong? Which also means the time is at hand that she'll breathe the air of loneliness. So instead of killing herself, I killed her. Now she's safe from the deity's punishment."

He's smiling coldly. He gave me the brooch and it's barely broken.

"Okay. Then we'll stand as a false testify for this crime."

"What?!" I responded and Poc. "You mean a false play?!" I included.

"Yes."

"But—"

"No! No way! No excuses! No exceptions! No anything! No! No! No! No! I will confess everything to master even your stupid mentality," he pointed Haris, "And this monster's fraud and irreverent transgressions, I will reveal it to the whole galaxy! In the name of my deceased masterpiece... I hate you! I hate y—!"

Haris hold Poc tight single handedly."

It depends how you discern. As for my own perspective, Ino saved Emia. But in a cruel and unwise way."

Still Poc has unstoppable yell even if his mouth is covered. Then I was confounded and surprised when Haris morsel and swallowed Poc. He nauseated a little and cough. I am amid of what-should-I-act and what-to-mutter. Even reading Ino's expression is the same.

"You know, you could just fed him to me." Ino suggested.

"No. I took him somewhere far."

Somewhere down his stomach? Haris held the sleeve loop of his dark trench coat.

"I can create clones. We will pretend that we found Emia laying dead inside her house with a knife buried in the chest. And you'll stay here to wait for other players," he look at the sea, "In reciprocal, leave this place and live with your daughter." then turned back his gaze at Ino. "That's a deal, but I'll leave it up to you..."

We gave him enough time to think. And my hunch is either he'll agreed or eat us. I'm such a negative clairvoyant person and eventually, Ino assented.

"Are you concern about my noble reputation?" he asked Haris.

"Maybe a little. My intention is only for the sake of liberty."

I follow as he walk away. I still can't believe that I'm part of this heinous combination. Or probably this is what Emia wanted. Without hearing her point of view. I am even responsible for her parent's death. I felt like I murdered a whole family.

"Haris!" he called out my companion's name. "Ever since my wife died... so far, you are the first person who accepted me." he presented a conventional smile.

"Make sure you wash yourself. You caught some rain drops of blood. Also, spare me her ashes," Haris replied and we left him. Technically his cotton v neck shirt drunk blood stains.

On our way to Emia's house, inside the dark forest, Haris plump down and sigh out of the blue. I asked if something wrong does matter

"I almost faint back there," he said with a cracking voice. I press my arms to my knees, looking at him. I remembered he's traumatized in inhuman slaughtering. So he spared a surplus load of politeness to negotiate peacefully with a monster.

"Ashti... I'm sorry for dragging you everywhere... even in this..." he stood up again and we proceed to walk.

"You can just dispose my unnecessary consciousness to keep it privy between the two of you."

"If I did that then I lied again." I smile.

"That could be the best option. What are we stand against him? A small fly. We can't even defeat Poc's huge crap. We'll only cause another fray instead of having a tight sleep." I look at him, "Why don't you just hang Emia's clone? That's a more suicidal phenomenon," I said mildly.

"The ceiling would collapse." I bash his arm and he groans.

"Don't scoff the resting soul! Perhaps she's obese but meek than anyone I've met." I hold his arm and furled up the sleeve, I found a contusion area, this is where the brooch stroke. I was suddenly bleak.

"He's strong. He is even stronger than your father. He exceeds my defense."

"Typically that's an Alfa's special capacity. Flesh can make them strong, one human can make them last a month or two. No wonder why Ino last that long up until this very generation."

I hesitated with the mix of guilt at Emia's front yard. I can still imagine the first time I saw her here sweeping dried leaves and gave Haris all her attention. He preceded on opening the door and found Emia's body just like how Haris described before. It wasn't her, but this hair-raising convergence haunts me.

The night was filled with silence and tears as the moonlight radiance gaze at the roof. All depression merged in Jexica's bosom for Emia's death. And on the same matter, Haris seems so dismal. The next morning, for investigation, Emia's death was proven suicide. Asking by pair, Jexica and Aishmalen searched for the brooch underwater, Mishu and Davih in the forest, and we came in at Emia's house, stood as a false witness.

Jexica blamed us for Emia's death after choosing no action to restrain her attempt. And me, for not healing her. I was kinda offended and it's my choice to understand her emotional state. Psychologically, that's how a person respond to unexpected events like this.

We stay here for another day, Haris took me inside Emia's room. He said she could be a sweet mother someday. Her room is small and walls are covered with souvenirs and hand-made accessories. She's creative and smart too. After we accumulated some of the left beads on the small table, we measured and cut a string. Haris made the brooch convertible to a pendant.

At first, before we came here, Ino gave us a tiny jar with ashes inside. Emia's clone is now deeper than a sole can touch yet her real body satisfied an appetite and her head was cremated, these ashes, it is. Simply thinking about her tragic climax of life haunts my guilt and terrifying. It would be better if I didn't met her during the run of my own time.

Haris brimmed the ashes in the pendant, mended the tiny crack on the golden glass it originally had. He said this is an apology present for Jexica. I lean my elbow on the table and my chin to my palm, looking suspicious.

"The day of the tragedy is the same day of her birthday. Ever since that happened, I never seen her smile nor laugh during her birthday. Like... that day literally don't exist."

"So you want to make her smile? Is her birthday coming?"

"No, just saying. And of course she's our kingdom's last ruler, it is our pleasure to see her happy."

I hum to respond. I calculated how lucky Jexica to have loyal servants, and I think I'm jealous. I lend him a hand to finish this present and we did it less than an hour. I lift to view the whole product, it's a simple and colorful necklace, good enough to make a woman cheered up. The thin string is apparently fragile, easy for beads to run everywhere with a single tug.

The government offered free transportation for us, a ship, going to another kingdom for exchange workmanship. On the main deck of this classic vintage ship, rounded edge table around are set upped. Mishu invited Ino to join us, he declined. He said that he's going home. He bestowed us a blessing to have strength on every battle.

"Farewell!" that was his last word for us before the experts released the knot of the ship rope and begin the sail. Some of the products they made are stored inside the ship cabin. We chose the table near the ship helm. Aishmalen stamp his tiptoe twice

"Is this vessel durable?" he asked the sailor.

"Absolutely! We've been using this for the space of 2 years without a single flaw! Rest assure, this is an open heart gift for us from Ariteliaali Kingdom! The most productive and powerful kingdom of all!" this sailor charged a lot of energy for today.

"Arila-lya...?" Mishu stammered.

The frigate birds playing around the shrouds scattered as the flags pacify the massive air to drive the ship.

"How long will this travel be?" Aishmalen asked again.

"Two days, my fellows! But don't worry, this is the season of comeliness and issue free!"

"Really? That's over! Mind if I hasten the travel?" I recognize the speed of the ship increasing. Waters around the hull flows with intense agility. The sailor noticed

"Ah—well... of course! Why not! It's okay, after all, this ship is the best one of a kind!"

He's over recommending this material. Besides, I appreciate it since in my nations we don't have things in common. I often set foot on natural lands not on sea.

"What is our next stop?" Mishu asked while swaying her feet, sitting on the chair.

"Ariteliaali kingdom," Haris answered.

"Oh, it has the same difficulty in pronunciation for your name!" A given trivia from Davih. And he's talking to Mishu.

"That kingdom loves the world. A price is more important than life. Prepare to meet the barbaric queen, she's suffering from trust issues."