Chapter Three

The words tasted foul as they left her mouth knowing that she had been sold out like pieces of rag but she wasn't going to allow that to hurt her anymore as it did in the past "So you're saying that you're going to leave again to go in search of your family who might not give a damn about you, they might never accept you even if you find them, it better to live up to reality Ares because I know you're also going to be caught by Dinah and history will repeat itself, so stop being a baby!

"If I never get accepted when I find them, so be it! Then I'll know that they don't want me, it's better that way than living in the dark on if they'll accept me or not" Jesse sighed in utter frustration as he ran his hand through his hair.

"What don't you understand, huh? Family does not want you to view it as, why don't you focus on paying all your debt, look…I could even help you to pay all your debt when I start working… Ares was already shaking her head in disagreement, he didn't want to listen to anything he has to say

"Look Jesse, not all family is like yours and because your family abandoned and sold you out does not mean that mine would do the same, I have to meet them and if they push me out then so be it! Just when she finished talking did she see the shock and pain on his face…she didn't mean to bring his family in this…it was a huge mistake!

"No, I…I… didn't mean to…I'm sorry" "Forget it" he nodded and walked to the door, just when his hand was on the knob he turned to her with his eyes filled with unshed tears "You know what, all families are not the same, I wish you all the best" she watched him shut the door behind him when he finally left. She sat there buried in her guilt, she shouldn't have said that to him… she shouldn't have!

But the words had been said, she could only bite her tongue and curse herself and when the second bell rang…it jolted her out of her thought, Gosh! It was eight o'clock already, she needs to get to work or that would be the end of her again. If she was going to go ahead with her plan, she needs today's earnings and hopes that Jesse does not rattle her out, he had never done it before but she wonders if he will now since she broke his trust. waiting any further, she hurried to the bathroom so she could get back to work, she didn't want to get kicked out of shifts again, and knowing that it was a few days before the festival of the seven guardians of Ethen they were called the "The seven gods"

The seven guardians were not just any ordinary rulers, they were extraordinary guardians and the legend has it that they were chosen by god himself to rule the seven cities in Ethen, Hogsmeade, Hill wood, malgudi, Eerie, Sin, Esely, Bethel. sit was the empire of the seven rulers that wield extraordinary powers which were given to them by a divine being himself and then, they were given the power to appoint the royals those who work beneath them.

Only the royals could associate and speak on behalf of the people no ordinary human being can stand against royal blood talk more of the seven guardians, they were the gods of the cities and were accorded defined respect, and also in each guardian's death another guardian would be chosen by the gods through one of the loyal, this time was always one of the most suspenseful time in the cities.

And every seven years, people take great pressure in celebrating them, a way of showing gratitude and appreciation for their leadership. It was always a time of festivities and celebration for the people. It take seven days in a week and the last day of celebration was only the time people get to see The seven gods of Ethen accompanied by the royal blood and the thousands of solider, it was a festival no one dares to miss but this was going to give her a perfect chance to escape, she wanted to be free from all these, to find her family and somewhere at the back of her mind, she knows that she has a future outside this shop.

When she finally get back to the shop, it was a few minutes past six, she was able to be here in time before Madam Dinah which would have also cut half of her earnings today, the painful part of this was that the pay was not that much but still it got cut for every mistake, sometimes in a day she wouldn't go home with any money.

She tried to get an opportunity to apologize to Jesse but he did everything he could to avoid her that morning, with her apron tied around her waist, she focused on the stack of plates after the morning customers left. She could see from outside the shop as women walked about with baskets of groceries in their hands while the men were busy on the roads, decorating the road for the big celebration that would happen in three days.

It was a perfect time to get lost in the crowd, no one would want to waste their time looking for her at such a good time, and even if they do they would never find her because there were a lot of people who were going to be in streets and road and she'll do better disguising herself in the crowd. She was tired of being caught each time she attempt to, this time she promise herself that she would never be caught and just that afternoon when she had gone back in serving the customer, trying her best to be on her best behavior despite some customers harsh words and the sweat sliding down her forehead, she knows that Dinah was watching, waiting for her to make a single mistake so that she would send her away but she was going to disappoint her this time.

She need that money, if she wanted to survive a day out there in the street, it was going to be hard but she was going to get through it. That was the time she noticed the huge bald man walk into the shop, who was he? She has never seen him before…