Gap

"The Nickbones man got up back the table and walked to the bean counter and after paying the barman left. We separately started chasing him, but Zia came closer to me and quietly murmured, "Hey Asaya I think something is wrong with this guy".

I shifted my gaze to him promptly and responded, "What do you mean? Did you see something special?"

He shrugged and wasn't sure about what he was talking about, but added "No, but it's kind of make no sense to me exactly when we arrived at that bar he came inside and when we learned about him he got up quickly".

"Maybe it's just accidentally", I said.

"Where is he going?" He doubted if we got a suitable plan due to our previous conditions.

"He is going between some mountains, I know there is an ancient ruined building, never saw there before", I replied as looking at the map.

"So I hope it's not a trap".

He guessed, but I wished that I could bring time back and would trust his instinct and listen to him. He moved between the mounts and then passed a bridge reaching to the opposite side.

Underneath were a huge gap and a roaring river that was flowing to join the Nava Ocean. We kept out distance farther, but his torchlight had guided us. We were in Nickbone boundaries. In the heart of danger. Their land is near the ocean. I was close to taking a payback if I wanted to. But I controlled myself.

We set up near the place he aimed. Right behind the conical rocks. It was an old castle and a temple. It had made in the body of the great mountain. I guessed many eyes were watching around us. But I left it be because of thinking it may be suspicious thoughts.

No other choice we had, but concealing behind the rocks in the dark. We waited till late mid-night then quietly scrambled inside there while Bahour and Kaniar were outside to cover our back.

Avoiding the stones crawling down was much necessary that our head was on our body. No one guarded out, even if there was the dark wouldn't allow them to see us. I brushed the thoughts away and convinced myself that they don't expect us there. Maybe jailing him in their castle was more reasonable.

We scattered and strode in slowly two by two. Subaru and Rabin bounced up the stairs and covered behind a pillar. Then Khalid and Ario walked to another side and Nathen joined me and Zia. The light was coming out from the window side alerted us that we came in a right place.

Behind each pillar, on the second floor, one of us had hidden. My father was there. His forehead was bleeding, a deep scar on the left side, his hands and feet were tied up by a chain. He had gotten skinny and weak. For a moment I thought was it all to distract us? They surely didn't bring my father her nine months before.

Yes, we were traveling for nine months to find my father. I couldn't tolerate seeing him like that. My heart was about to pop out. I could hear my breath. All voices got louder. Those thieves had gathered by the fire and laughing while keeping him in a tough state. There were four of them and I assumed they can't be more.

My impatient teeth made us in huge trouble. They left my father for a while, so I thought that's a good situation to save my dad, Nathen warned me and said, "Wait Asaya it's not a good idea!" we were at a snail pace and I made it to rush unaware of the snake in the grass.

I jumped down mutely and all I remember is that when I turned my head something hard hit me and I fell off down, Zia's voice was spinning into my head. If I didn't know him definitely could have assumed that he was in love with me because of paying attention to me.

I made a big mess on our plan, whether from the first turn it was all a huge mistake chasing him. I had underestimated them and caused that. We all got captured. The presence of that person as Zia said wasn't accidental. Exactly at our arrival date and after it, he brought us here directly, we got betrayed in a blink of an eye.

I opened my eyes, the taste of blood for the first time in my life was trolling into my mouth.

Bahour was bleeding badly. It was a drastic wound and when my father got conscious his eyes wide opened. He flew off the handle and anger made his whole face as red as beetroot, "Asaya you shouldn't have been here, they are looking for you not only the stick, for the sake of heavens why are you here", reproved.

My head froze and I said, "What? Me?"

Like a little bunny trapped in the wolves' cave and there was no way out to scape while I was ashamed and blaming myself for acting such an idiot.

Zia had a doltish smile on his face and looking at the ceiling when the rain of arrows started hitting the ground. Strangers in gray clothes covered faces got into the show. Without wasting time, they jumped down and opened our hands. We picked the weapons, Nathan and Ario helped Bahour.

We had to fight till we neared the gap which was attached to the o river. The bridge was full of them so the mountain edges were our only way. It was very thin and narrow. They fired arrows over and over and we hardly could find a way to not get hit. Underneath we could hear the river. The possibility of surviving that river was less than getting shot by arrows.

Karma didn't start a fair game with me an arrow flew toward my head and when I gave up and closed my eyes. Nothing happened still I could hear the voices. I slowly opened my eyes. I found myself between Zia's arms. His doltish smile and shining blue eyes still passing across my sight.

He pushed me forth and Rabin dragged me when I aimed to take his hand. The edges under his feet cracked and before I make a move he fell to the gap. Only his fingers touched the tip of mine. His long hair was flying in the air when he fell to the water.

Time froze and my body was shaking. I gave up to die there. It was fast the much that I couldn't bear to leave. My heart has been burning by hatred, not a good thing but I've sworn to kill the king of Nickbones and inducement my own.

I realized my weakness and that was losing people that I love especially family.

The last thing that I remember from that cursed night was the eyes of a familiar stranger the one who has been saving my life and I don't know why or who this person is. Mr. Weirdo hold me and took me to the opposite side. The last sound was the horse's neigh.

Out of there Bahour, the commander of gates gang took the last breath, fate overtook him, and joined my loving brother Zia. My heart got even heavier. He had a six years old daughter and we had to tell them a harsh notice.

**

We returned to Persis because my father was rescued, but I wasn't happy because of Oria's deep sorrow. She won't forgive me for not being enough strong to protect him.

Uncle Shareeq even didn't cry, maybe he was blaming himself for sending him with us and his silence even made me feel more guilty, even Shouka was treating me as nice as before and it was hurting me down to hell.

My father used to tell me he would have died instead of seeing Zia felling to that river with an arrow in his back. He went cross with me for a while till uncle told him that Zia joined us himself, but it couldn't calm me at all. I could hear my father's sobbing and jump out of the nightmare. He felt guilty as though.

I left my father and by the king's order we have got a new mission to hunt criminals and become their punishments, but I was on a different mission beside it. That is to find the king's son, yes the crown prince whom I've never seen before. On my way by only knowing his name, we got attacked by two pirates' ships at the same time.

Foolishly I had decided to fight with them, but one girl against many mad pirates hadn't many points of chances."

Asana constricted her knees to her chest. Now she wanted to cry, but it wasn't possible for a ghost.

"What will happen to us in the end? How should I handle this pain? Did I make a huge son that I transported here?" Asana muttered and puffed in the air.