AWOL

"Why are your eyes swollen?" my mother inquired as I walked down the stairs. I ran up to her and hugged her tightly, which surprised her. "Mom, I had a sad dream," I said as if I were a child. "Do you want to talk about that?" she inquired gently. We were both wandering slowly into the woods a few minutes later to get some fresh air.

"Why do you appear to be crying?" mother kindly inquired, and I felt sorry once more. "I had a dream about a boy in our village mother asking for help, but I didn't do anything," I replied softly as tears welled up in my eyes.

"I feel like it's all my fault, mother; I didn't protect him, and it appears that the things he wrote about me didn't get the justice they deserved," I couldn't stop crying as I sadly handed mother the notebook. "I feel like I've failed all the qualities he admired in me," I finally burst into tears again, overcome by grief.

Mother opened it and quickly picked the dried flower from the notebook. "That's his favorite flower, mother, and I remember him," I told her as if I am a child. She gently placed it back in the notebook and stopped walking, as did I. She was looking at me with a sorrowful expression on her face.

"My prayer to the dear Goddess, Vreihya, has come true; she gave me a daughter who loves her people to the fullest," she tenderly told me, caressing my heart. "His death, Vreihya, was not in vain because it just deepened your love for people like him," mother replied gently, to which I agreed.

She hugged me again, but both my mother and I were taken aback and fell to the grass in each other's arms as a result of the force that pushed us. We swiftly unbraced ourselves and took a serious look at the newly arrived vampire. We could plainly see uncle, who appeared to halt unexpectedly, possibly because he overestimated his speed.

"Alonzo!" mother shouted angrily, but we both seemed to be bewildered as to why uncle was panting while Silvestre's small form was on his shoulder. We instantly stood up and took a deep breath because there appeared to be some unpleasant news. "The other kingdom is moving towards here!" uncle exclaimed, pausing to gather his breath.

"Entrante! How?" I exclaimed. "Silvestre spotted them coming this way, and they had a humongous Awol with them!" uncle said. "An Awol? Hasn't the race of those beasts been exterminated?" mother inquired.

An Awol is a creature in our world who can smell a human not just through his blood but also through his breathing. Mino is alive and breathing, and he's not a full-blooded vampire. "They're desperate, mother; they'll even use a vicious monster to get their hands on Mino!" I raged.

It doesn't matter where they obtained a living Awol, the only thing to worry about is getting Mino out of here because his scent might be tracked here, and I can't take the thought of villagers being murdered again. "We're leaving! Mino's scent must be diverted!" I shouted hastily, and my mother and uncle agreed.

I used my speed to get to the palace and immediately reached the mortal's room. I slammed the door open, and Mino yelled, but my eyes dilated since his nude body was exposed to me, but luckily he had his back turned, so I just saw his back. "Damn! Why did you barge in without permission?" he yelled to me as I was still turning my back.

Fortunately, I swiftly turned my back, obscuring my view of his lower body. "I'm so sorry it's so important!" I exclaimed as I heard him putting on his clothing. I spoke again a few seconds later. "We need to get out of here, Mino," I said instantly, but I was astonished when he patted my back. "You can see now," he said promptly, and I turned to face him.

I couldn't look him in the eyes since I was embarrassed by my abrupt appearance. I only get a frigid gaze from him because he was probably annoyed by how I barged in. "Is there a problem? Why do we have to leave?" he questioned softly as he combed his hair upwards with his fingers.

He still looks absolutely stunning, but it's not his magnificence that I need to focus on. "The other kingdom is heading in this direction, and they have Awol with them," I said quickly, making him scowl. "Awol? Absent without official leave? Is there a military school here?" he inquired, raising my eyebrows. What on earth is he saying?

"Are you referring to OTWOL? "On the wings of love" starring James Reid and Nadine Lustre, do you have ABS-CBN here?" he asked again, making my brain hurt the worse. Entrante! This is not the moment for me to understand further about them. I'm so stressed right now that I'm about to choke a handsome mortal. "Not such rubbish, Mino! Awol in this world is a beast that can smell human breath and tear you apart! They are born to kill humans and tear them to shreds!" I rapidly stated, hoping he gets it.

GLOSSARY (For non-filipino readers)

OTWOL- On the wings of love is a 2015 Philippine drama television series directed by and Jojo Saguin and starring and in their first primetime television series.

ABS-CBN- is considered one of the country's leading media and entertainment companies, with service offerings across the different platforms of media, servicing a wide array of customer segments.

James Reid and Nadine Lustre- they used to be a love team under ABS-CBN network. Both are excellent artists.

I noticed his jaw clenching, but his simple concealment in his quivering hand did not escape my notice. I know he's afraid for his life since the monster would kill him mercilessly. "We need to go; the villagers will be victims once more; your enemies will play dirty again," he continued firmly, and I was soon outside the palace.

I have a bag large enough to carry my essentials, and after a bit Mino appears next to me, also holding a bag, but it is much smaller than mine because he doesn't have plenty of stuff.

Mother and uncle from the village met us right away to ensure that the folks living there were safe. "You both need to go to the sanctuary; Awols are not allowed in," uncle recommended instantly, but I swiftly shook my head. That refuge bothers me. My mind is already racing in dread for the creature I'll encounter there. "Come on, Vreihya! You still haven't reached an accord with her?" uncle said irritably.

"Just don't tell her why you're going there since you know that woman is cunning," uncle cautioned, and I nodded. I'll see her again, and my blood is boiling just thinking about what she did to me before. "And you, Mino, maintain your sanity on there and don't be tempted," uncle cautioned Mino, who was perplexed.

"Let's just hope the mortal has a strong mind! We have to gamble in that place even if there's a danger he'll go insane," uncle instantly said since, while it appears to be a paradise, it is not safe for those with a weak mental capacity. That sanctuary will be a nightmare for creatures who are easy to be played with. "You can't use Silvestre since he is the one who reports to me when someone approaches this place," uncle explained, and I simply agreed.

After a while, we began to travel away from the forest, and I could see the enormous desert front of us. I left a ring with my power's blessing to maintain the forest that had shielded us and acted as a hiding place. Although it was tough to break free from mother's hug earlier, we must now separate for the time being.

Mino has been quiet for a while now, possibly because uncle whispered something to him earlier that I missed. We were in the desert a few moments later as the forest shrank due to our distance. I'm not sure why, but curiosity seems to have possessed me, which is why I faced the man who was just behind me.

"What did uncle whispered to you, Mino?" I instantly inquired. "I won't tell you," he said firmly, raising my eyebrows as I walked backwards to face him while moving forward. "I need to know because it may be one of his crap!" I said, but he didn't appear to hear me.

"Look where you're going, princess; you might stumble," he warned, but I simply shook my head. "You just don't want to tell me what it is," I replied again, stepping backwards. This peculiar habit of mine irritates me greatly. "No, I won't tell you!" he said quickly, looking down slightly to see what he was stepping on.

I was going to inquire again when I realized there was no sand on my feet as I took a step back. "ENTRANTE!" My eyes expanded as I felt myself falling backwards, but I quickly grasped Mino's clothes on his chest, and his eyes widened as we both tumbled, and he embraced me tightly as we both rolled down the sand.

I could feel the sand on my skin, but Mino was sheltering my head and one of his arms was wrapped around my waist. A few moments later, I heard what sounded like a whack on his head, and his grip on me swiftly loosened. I was on top of him at the time, and I instantly stood away from him since he appeared to have lost consciousness.

My eyes immediately widened as I noticed the flow of abundant blood on the side of his head and a hefty stone nearby. Entrante! Because of what happened, I became nervous right away. It's entirely my fault! I was ready to get up to do something when I felt what appeared to be a drop in temperature in the desert.

I instantly alerted myself because this hot desert can't possibly become this cold. I didn't hesitate and turned to face the direction where I could feel his presence, and without hesitation, I caught the sharp cold object that he flung at me, which would have hit my forehead.

"Greetings, princess!" he remarked arrogantly with a sneaky smirk on his face.