24: Another Companion

"Is he sleeping or dead?" asked Aishmalen. I look at Haris, I have my hopes down with this guy.

"He's deadly sleeping," then he laugh.

"We should get inside now."

He take Mishu with his arms, kick the door of the castle and it fell, rotten by ages. And now, how am I suppose to carry him with my arms too?! The storm got stronger, it's too shivering again outside. I was about to stand when Haris grab my clothe from behind and pulled me down. I fell on a dusty couch, I cough with this smoke-like-dust.

We changed place, only the two of us. We're inside the castle, here in the living room. There's a furnace in front of us and another couch on opposite sides from my spot. Not even a tea table but they have a wide floor mat with the fur of a polar bear. I heard the thunder outside through the glass window on the right.

It's snowing and even raining. This room is too dark, or could be creepy.

"So you're awake."

"Just for a moment." He spit to the furnace and it fires up. I feel warmer and I just found a thick soft blanket covering me and him.

"Why did you left those two..?"

"They know this castle more than we do." He lean on my shoulder. I wonder how he can keep that magician hat attached on his head.

"Ashti, we can't travel with those two." I raise an eyebrow.

"And why? Do you think you'll travel with another idiot?"

"That's one of the reasons. Another, you and Mishu has the same outfit... and that looks weird..." I stammer. I think I'll feel embarrassed when they recognized it.

"But the big problem is, Mishu is linked to the Queen. I'm sure she can hunt me easily with her." I ponder, that could happen if she's not back to normal. And again he's sleeping, I slap him and still he's dead-asleep. When I sigh, I heard the door opened, light came inside this room and saw a figure like human silhouette on the shadow.

It's them. I'm relief they came here.

"How did you got here?!"

"Don't be surprised. Haris took me here," he laugh gently. He lay Mishu on the right couch, she better change her torn clothes, also for me to avoid fashion plagiarism.

"It looks like we're both baby sitters," he utter. I smile but to be honest, Haris is baby sitting me all these times. "So you're a healer! I also observed stones protecting you. Or you just awakened that gift."

"I... I don't know..." he look on me like studying me from head to toe.

"I see. Fighters learn in battle. Specially with your great desire to help someone. That's how I develop my own gift until I can take them under my control." He look at the fire, I almost laugh when he shiver. "I'll stay underwater. Just call me when something's wrong."

"Wait I can't call you with this chain... I mean..."

"Don't worry! Stones will protect you. I can't stay with this fire too, I feel like being fried." And he left me speechless. I have no choice too, his scales are sensitive on fire, and now I know his weakness. Don't he dare betray me. I stare at the fire, the sound of the heavy rain drops, the thunder and fire cracks are the only noise I can hear.

I feel sleepy. I lean my head on Haris' and afterwards, I felt someone sit beside me. But when I look there's no one. I look around and found a huge mirror on the right, I thought that's a window. Just when did it got there? I look at my haggard face and look away. I noticed my reflection stays the same, it's still looking at me.

I turn my head again there and there's nothing wrong. I raise my hand slowly and my reflection waved. I was frightened! I cover my mouth, pat my chest and breath to calm myself. Aishmalen didn't informed me that this castle is haunted! I can hear a silent weep of a little girl, I have no idea where it came from.

Until the noise get louder, voice of the crowd, explosions, I know I'm still awake. The whole room was covered by crystals like mirror, I can see people on every sides of the crystals, like it shows me the past of this castle. There are some people talking and laughing, a bed talk of a mother and daughter, Mishuzyñel?

A grand celebration inside the palace and the town, people being killed, and for the second time I tremble in fear for seeing the Queen in black, she killed everyone like how she did at Haris' home. I saw Mishu crying inside a dark room with the Queen beside her, I scream her name and heard me. After staring at me she punches the floor and crystals destroyed everything.

When it reaches me, I woke up. I knew it, I fell asleep. I'm leaning on Haris' lap and Mishu is weeping in front of us. She's even hugging Maruwie like her own toy. Maruwie is feeling well now and so Haris. I look at the window, sun is shining which means it's morning. I ended up sleeping the whole day.

I rise up

"Mishu, are you okay now?"

"I'm okay!" then she weep again.

"I don't feel any dark sorcery in her. She's safe now," Haris said.

"Mishu... why are you crying...?"

"Mama...! Papa...!" I thought she's a young-matured princess, yet she's still a little princess after all.

"Your parents..."

"They're dead." I glare at him. How could he say that straight forward specially to a kid?!

"You told me that 3 times!" then she weep harder.

"She doesn't believe me..." so it means they're talking right before I woke up.

"Would you like to talk to Aishmalen?" I ask

"What?! That janitor fish...!" I smile and noticed Haris pulling back his laugh. I pinch his leg.

"He said he'll stay underwater..." she's delighted when I said that. She run to leave this room, I follow her so Haris must follow her too. And Maruwie is too attached to her, are they close friends? She run down to the first floor, at their backyard they have a pool with crystals shining around.

We saw Aishmalen sitting, or more like sleeping underwater because of his eyes close and arms folded. Mishu called him to wake up. Aishmalen splashes water on her before he sit on the surface. Mishu started crying again and run after his cousin but she fell and drown. He raise her up with a whirlpool and they hug each other there.

He's patting Mishu's head, they look so cute!

"This is a perfect time for breakfast!" I said with a voice of leniency.

"We still have to hunt beast in the wilderness before we serve the breakfast." Haris explained. He's right! It'll be a waste of time checking the kitchen, all foods may be stinking.

"Okay. Then first things first. This is a perfect chance for morning bath," I smirk at him.

"Don't you dare—!" I pull him down to the pool when I jumped. The water is cold as the weather. Aishmalen shakes his finger tips on the surface and slowly creating a froth like soap bubbles. It's getting warmer too. A bath pool at the same time a hot spa. I enjoy scrubbing the water on my skin, it's been a while since I took a bath.

While this magician keeps on ruining my moment. He's splashing water on me, I can't breath well and it looks like he's having fun. I raise my level of reputation and we made a battle of splashing water. Mishu joined our battle until Aishmalen did. Well he has greater advantage and he simply made a whirlpool for him to achieve victory.

This could be our first bonding together.

※ ※ ※ ORC ※ ※ ※

Outside the castle in front of the door we stay and wait for the two. I stretch my arms, yawning then shout.

"So where are we going next?"

"I'll tell you when we're there," I pout. He look up, it's raining snowflakes. Looking at this together sounds cool and at the same time, romantic. I look at him and he's already staring. I raise an eyebrow.

"Is this your first time seeing a snowflake?" he asked. Is he trying to change the scenario here? I shrugged my shoulder for my answer. But for real, this is the first time I saw a snowflakes. He catch one of the falling snowflakes and melted fast, I don't mean he's hot but I guess that's just how snowflakes are.

When they came out, Mishu changed her clothe into a red off-shoulder dress. Now I'm relief we don't have the same outfit. They roam around the castle, bringing back memories they had that's how they took so long. Then since everyone is present, we begin our travel.

At first we have to enter a snowy forest. As I observe Mishu while riding at Maruwie, she's having so much fun.

"Does she know about what happened in her kingdom?" I ask Aishmalen.

"No. Maybe next time I'll tell her."

"You better tell her sooner. She can't live a life with lies."

"Should I tell her that her parents was killed by someone undiscovered and that she even killed her own people?- I mean those children inside the orphanage?"

"Yes."

"No." I glare at Haris. "Just let her enjoy her childhood."

"And how is she suppose to enjoy her childhood without her own home?"

"She have us. Don't tell me you never enjoyed your childhood with King Holland," he failed to reply. And again I won against him in a short wrangle. He simply look away and I roll my eyes off him. And that's why Aishmalen laughs.

"I'm starting to think, what kind of travel you have with the two of you alone."

"Sshh!"

Haris hissed at Maruwie and she shrunk to hide letting Mishu fell on the snow.

"Enemy?"

"A polar bear," said Aishmalen and I found it walking to the south.

"Food." That's how Haris saw it.

"Panda!" and there's Mishu running after it like a pet. When it noticed us it started groaning. I saw how it stretches out his claws and expose it's fangs. We all run fleet, Haris shielded Mishu from it's scratch, I punch it away and I never did it with strong force. It only gave it like a pinch. This isn't the right time to laugh with this embarrassment.

The snows melted, the trees around withered for an instant, waters are surrounding the polar bear and float like a tornado in the air while it lifts the bear up. Aishmalen used the water inside the trees too. When he left it uncontrolled the water fell like a fountain, Mishu raises piercing crystals and the bear fell there, a brutal dead by human hands.

Mishu weeps when the bear died.

"Well then, we have breakfast," I said with a fake smile. I never thought we're aloud to eat bears. Or it only means every meat is a food, including humans. I shiver. While cooking the bear's meat, Mishu is still crying.

"Why don't you just eat your own crystals...!"

"How could you cook panda!"

"It's not a panda, that's a wild beast."

"That is part of my rule!"

"For your information, you're the one who killed it."

"Ugh! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" she covered her arms with crystals to make it hard on bashing Haris behind again and again. However it's not working because of his metallic body. Haris is the one cooking the bear maybe that's why Mishu hate him. He added some seasonings kept inside a small bag and it made the taste worth killing merciless.

After breakfast, a breakfast heavy as lunch, we begin again on traveling. Mishu is on the lead while playing again with Maruwie. Aishmalen started the conversation

"Haris, why do you hate my brother?"

"Because he's annoying."

"Annoying towards you huh? I guess you're the same peevish to everyone since you're a traveler."

"It's simply because all of them are annoying."

"Unlike Jexica?" I comment.

"Ashti, you're a foreigner right? And a princess?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Haris answered.

"What are you doing here in our nation?"

"I—"

"She was kidnapped by the King," he answered again for me.

"Really—?"

"Yes."

I cover my mouth to hide my laugh. Doesn't he want me to talk to another guy? Aishmalen look fierce at Haris with arms folded.

"Now I know why my brother hate you too."

"I don't care about his feeling."

"But you should at least watch your mouth—"

"And how am I suppose to travel if I keep my eyes on my mouth."

"No. He means to watch your words," I clarified.

"Words are spoken, not watched." Pfft!! Now I wonder if he's a philosopher too.

"What I really mean is, respect us. Know your place, you're the only non royal blood here."

"I don't care with your blood, weaklings."

"What?! You wanna know how you can stay on your feet?!"

"Why not we figure it out who can stay on consciousness?"

Their faces are close glaring at each other's eyes. At first Haris wrangled with me then with Mishu and now with Aishmalen? I pull their ear away from the closeness of their faces.

"Why don't you two just shut your mouth and keep walking."

"Hey look! Shall we climb up here?!" We all look at Mishu pointing at the snowy mountain a few steps onward. She's so excited and started running up. On every step she make crystals are forming a stairs. That looks exciting too so I pull the both of them again just like before. We hike the mountain by the stairs which is somehow dangerous because the crystals are slippery.

I only reach the half of the half of this mountain. I'm worried if I can still reach the very top alive, even Mishu is getting tired. And when that happened, Maruwie lift us up until the top and beheld a jaw dropping view. It's just a simple nature. Behind this mountain is a calmed sea, the surface serves like a reflection of the sky.

"Whoa!"

"I never thought Helmeayess has this spot."

"Now tell me this place, Haris."

"This is Up-don Revolution."