Yan Yan

The next day, the young girl woke up as she looked around her surroundings. She saw nothing and remembered the things that happened last night. Her tears suddenly fell down as realization dawned on her. Her grandfather was now gone, she didn't know what had happen but she clearly remembered his words, "Survive my dear! Follow your instinct for tomorrow will be the day for you to live alone. Goodbye my dear!"

She sobbed but suddenly jolted when she heard a sound coming from the haystocks not far from her, she looked at it and saw the haystacks moved for a while before stabilizing. She then remembered that there was someone here last night. She moved closer and removed the haystacks covering the person, "WAAAAAAAAH!"

Lander suddenly woke up, there he saw in front of him was a young girl screaming covering her face with her two hands. "WAAH! Wait.. What? Why are shouting?"

"You... you .... you," the young girl turned her back on him as she pointed on his body.

Only then did Lander realized that he was fully naked, he got embarassed as he quickly put on a new set of dri fit clothes that are still wet that he got from his travelling bag. This time he was wearing a black dri fit jugging pants and a gray sleeveless shirt. After he got fully dressed, he embarrasly apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't intend to do that."

The young girl kept quiet before speaking while still showing her back to Lander, "What happened to my grandfather?"

Lander felt pity hearing the question. He was baffled whether to tell her the truth or not. But soon he decided to tell her everything. It was her right to know. So he went infront of the young girl and hugged her before telling the things that happened last night.

Before Lander dozzed off last night, the heavy rain stopped and he heard the old man leaving the stable. After a while he heard a conversation which shocked him. The old man told the imps that he was the last human remaining in this town and everyone else fled. He also told the imps that his masters told him that they will comeback in this town after two days in the middle of the night. He tricked them by saying that they shouldn't burn the houses and use this as a trap to capture more humans.

The imps believed everything he said. The leader of the imps was delighted hearing everything so he told the old man that he will give him a quick death and will not eat him but instead burn his body. After that the imps left the town with sinister laugh. Only then did Lander realized the words of the old man.

Upon hearing the story, the young girl wailed under Lander's chest. It took her a long time before she became calm. Lander assisted her to a seat before leaving her, "I'm hungry, I'll just look around the houses for food so we could eat."

The young girl didn't speak so Lander decided to leave her for the time being. Knowing that he still have two days before the so-called imps return, he has to stock foods before leaving but before that, he has to fill their tummy. He was not alone now, although he doesn't want to be burdened by a young girl but remembering how the old man sacrificed himself for their survival, he can't let his hope down. He was not that kind of person who doesn't know how to reciprocate a gratitude.

Before leaving, he noticed the tattoo on the back of his palm. He tried to remove it but his effort was futile. But because he was too hungry, he didn't mind it for a while.

He went out and was shocked when he saw the place. Then there he noticed some of the houses were destroyed. Aside from that he noticed that this is not the typical kind of house you can find on Earth, "Sigh, so this is really not Earth?"

As he was shocked seeing the place, his stomach grumbled and so he searched the area for an hour, especially the kitchen and he was lucky to find meats, alcoholic beverages that he can't recognize and there were also some vegetables and fruits. He took all these things but was dissapointed not to find any rice grains. He didn't also find any other recipes such as vinegar, soy sauce, tomatoes, garlic and other basic kitchen seasonings but he didn't mind for their was salt, at least.

Lander was a decent cook, he learned cooking from his uncle when he was still seven years old and daily practices his cooking skills. He even experimented some recipes for his cooking.

He brought the vegetables and sliced it thinly. After that, he put the pan on the fireplace. It was good thing that the meat has fats so Lander separated the fats from the meat and used it as oil. After some time, he then added the meat and made it crispy. Then he set it aside. He then used a wok to boil the meat with bones and added some salt and a little vegetables he cutted. This was a simple soup he made with only a little bit of ingredients. Waiting for it to boil, he again put the pan on the fireplace and added vegetables and sauteed it.

After cooking he went to the young girl and gave her some, "I don't know the feeling of losing someone but your grandfather didn't gave his life up just for you to cry and sob all the time. He gave his life for us to survive."

Then Lander sat beside her and devoured his food in an instant, "Yeah! That was a great meal. I should go and grab alcohol before leaving."

Before he left, he turned a glimpse at the young girl who hasn't started eating yet, "The food will not be as delicious when it isn't hot."

When he went back to the young girl, there he saw her eating nonstop as if she hasn't eaten for quite some days.

"Delicious!" She exclaimed while wiping the side of her mouth.

Lander found it funny, "Seems like you haven't eaten for days? There are still food left if you want."

The young girl turned around as he saw Lander smiling, then she blushed. But Lander just shrugged and sat beside her as he gulped a volume of the alcoholic beverage. He then put the jar of this beverage in front of them as he asked, "What's your name by the way?"

The young girl stared at the jar of alcohol, although she knew that it is the kind of drink that her masters daily consume that is not good for her age, she hurriedly picked up the jar and drank the whole content of it while Lander was caught off guard by her action.

The young girl was not from around the area, they just arrived here yesterday from the mining site. So even though she knew what kind of drink she consumed and the effects of it, she still drank it. She was too shy to ask for water from Lander.

Lander faced palm as he saw the young girl's face turned red. Lander knew that was a strong alcoholic beverage comparing to gin, "You shouldn't have drink that."

"Name..... Yan... " Moments passed when the little girl tried to tell her name then she felt hotness all over her body.

"You should just sleep," Lander said as he carried her into one of the rooms and laid her to bed. Yan feeling tipsy also drowsed of after feeling the comfortable bed.

Lander then remembered the things about what happened last night. He was sure that he was on Earth but based from the conversations he has heard and the sight he saw this morning, a part of him believed that he was not on Earth. He has to know where he was. This was the only way for him to go home to his uncle and his cousin. But before we went out, he took out the clothes from his travelling and dried it under the sun.

Then he searched the area until dawn to look for clues, unfortunately the books he collected was things related to smithing, taming and potionery. But after reading these three books he was now sure that this place was not Earth. He saw the lists of the metals, ores and items on the smithing book and found out that there were similiraties on Earth but there where items in the book he found odd like, meteorite stone, volcanic stone and some others.

When he also read the taming book he was astounded as he saw the lists of animals to tame - wolves, bears, griffins, sphynx, dragons, phoenix and other mythical creatures.

Also reading the third book he read the names of potions: sleeping potion, paralysis potion, poison potion, aphrodisiac potion, love potion, crazy potion and many other potions he couldn't understand.

He could only sigh as he went back to the young girl. But as he was going back, he saw a man going up the second floor where the young girl was sleeping. He panicked and rushly went to the second floor but he did it with caution. He was a thief and a fighter, he knew that the second the man noticed him, everything might be over to the young girl.

"Hmmm, finally I never thought that I would really see you unharmed despite of those evil imps last night, now I can have my way with you." The man said as he licked his lips staring at the sleeping young girl.

But as he was about to do something to the young girl, he felt a pain on the back of his head before he collapsed.

Lander hit the man's nerve point with his fist. He learned this thing from a man who used to be a monk, and he used it when he was in the streets fighting for survival. He then carried this man and tied him up into a chair.

After this, Lander heard another sound from the room where Yan Yan was staying. He rushly went there only to see Yan Yan holding her forehead while throwing up. Lander then went to grab her a water.

"My head hurts, everything around me is spinning." The young girl growled after she drank the water.

"The effects of too much alcohol." Lander told her while rubbing her back. Looking at her, he remembered her name was Yan but he decided to give her a new name. A new name that would mean a new fate. And whether he liked it or not, he has to take care of this girl.

"We should change your name to Yan Yan as it symbolizes a new beginning for you," Lander declared as she continued rubbing her back and tried to put her to sleep. He didn't even asked about her opinion about her name. Yan Yan lied down immidiately that made her dress in a mess and it was able to show her beautiful thigh.

"How old are you by the way?" Lander asked another question when he noticed the tattoo on her thigh.

"Ten years old," Yan Yan replied as she coughed and wiped the area around her mouth when she suddenly saw her dress below her private part being ripped.

"Whaa... Whaat... What are you doing?" Despite being nauteous, Yan Yan asked with fear as she tried to go away from Lander.

Lander was shocked when he saw that they have similar tattoo, 'Coincidence? I think not! I don't even know how I suddenly have a tattoo.'

Then he went out of the room and found another garment, he also brought a jar of water and gave it to Yan, "I'm sorry, please get back to sleep."