Why Save Her?

Ella was mixing her aunt's coffee drink in the mug, while her hands busy stirring the hot liquid, her mind was also actively thinking about what she saw last night.

She can't accept that she's just dreaming about the blood!

It felt so real!

That's why she passed out because what she saw was so horrible, imagining blood coming out from her dying aunt's mouth as she struggled to breathe. That's not a fun thing to watch!

But if her aunt was dying last night...how come she looks energetic today? As if she doesn't look sick at all!

She released a deep sigh. What is going on!?

Why her aunt insisted that it's all part of her dream?

If only the blood didn't disappear mysteriously then she had the evidence pinpointing that she wasn't dreaming at all.

But if the blood existed then her aunt already died last night since she wasn't able to help her because she passed out due to shock!

"Wow! This is unbelievable!" she said in a frustrated manner.

She put the spoon on the mug and put it in the saucer, then she sauntered towards her aunt's room.

She saw her aunt already sitting on the bed brushing her hair with a comb. She looks her usual self. So strange! She looks so weak last night!

She can't forget the look her dying aunt gave her! It gave her so much pain and fear that her body wasn't able to cope, she loses consciousness!

"Here's your coffee, Aunt! Please drink it while it's still hot," she said gently. She put the saucer in the bed within her aunt's reach. Then she lowered herself on the chair. She watched as her aunt was busy combing her hair.

"When I wake up in the morning, I'm sleeping beside you in the bed, Aunt," she informed her casually.

Margie stopped combing her hair and looked at her niece. "So...what do you mean?"

"T-that somebody put me in the bed beside you," Ella answered with a clear conviction in her voice.

Margie breathed deeply and put the comb aside. She picked up the mug and began sipping her favorite coffee, she put the mug down on the saucer and looked at her niece in the eyes. "Maybe you wake up last night, then you just lay down beside me, too tired to go back to your room," she gave her version of what could have happened last night.

Ella shrugged, then she began shaking her head still finding everything strange and confusing.

Margie finished the coffee and handed back the empty mug to her niece. "Thank you, dear. I'm going to get up and go back to my garden..." she said.

"D-do you need help, Aunt?"

Margie looked at her. "No need. I'm feeling good right now," she responded and step into the floor.

Ella watched as her aunt walked towards the door behaving her usual self. She sighed while picking up the empty mug and exited the room. She went back to the kitchen to start cooking food for breakfast.

She will just cook rice, fry ten pieces of salted fish, and boiled two pieces of eggs for breakfast.

She began putting wood into the stone stove and made a fire and then put rice and water in the pot.

She left the kitchen and exited the house to check on her aunt. She saw her sitting on the wooden stool and busy pulling grasses on her vegetable garden.

Feeling relieved that her aunt seems to be okay now, she went back to the kitchen and prepared the food.

Outside the house.

Fifty meters away from where Margie was attending to her garden, Zemeth and Ramza were sitting above the big branches of the tree, the two men were watching Margie's progress.

"Looked at her! Granny is looking great! Thanks to your grandfather's poison medicine!" Zemeth commented.

Ramza grinned. "I brought several bottles of medicine with me for this journey. It's better to be ready than sorry," he said.

Zemeth gives him a thumbs up. "I wonder how the culprit managed to break through our defenses and get inside the house undetected?" he asked.

"Hmm, it could be the ants crawling into the house. Ants are hard to detect, you know..." Ramza answered.

Zemeth was shaking his head. "I think, the ants are not the culprit," he said.

"How about cockroaches, lizards, mosquitoes, and what else?"

"Keep talking..."

"Horses, cows, dogs, dragons...orcs...goblins..."

"Nah, they are too easy to spot..."

"Hmm...how about..." Ramza looked at the beautiful bird flying above the tree. "How about a bird!" he suggested.

Zemeth looked at the birds nearby and studied their movements. The more he watched the birds' behavior the more he was convinced that a bird was somehow manipulated to drop poison in the old woman's food or drink. "Yes, it could be a bird!" he said.

After some time, Ramza looked bored. "When are we going to bring Ella to the castle on the hill?" he finally asked.

Zemeth studied his friend's face. "Don't be so excited, it will be soon! I'm waiting for the sign," he replied.

"But you have to understand that Aunt Margie won't allow Ella to go to the castle. How are we gonna make Ella go to the castle then? Unless, if granny will disappear or die, that's the only time Ella will be forced to go to the castle and find her sisters. You have to remember that the only one thing that holds Ella from going is her aunt," Ramza reminded his friend.

Zemeth stared at his friend's face. "What are you suggesting my friend?"

"Aunt Margie has to go so that Ella will go to the castle," Ramza replied.

"Huh?" Zemeth's brows knitted together. "Are you suggesting that we kill the old woman?"

Ramza laughed. "I dunno...the creatures in the castle send someone to poison the old woman because they want the youngest sister in the castle? If we want granny dead, why did we even save her life in the first place? If we allow her to die last night, then we no longer have any problem today," he said.

Zemeth nods his head. "You got a point. But why did you even save her?"

Ramza sighed. "Of course, Margie is Kate's aunt. I couldn't possibly watch Kate's family member died just like that without doing anything. If I wasn't able to do anything for my beloved Kate, at least I'm doing something for her aunt," he elaborated further.

Zemeth was looking at his friend worriedly, his friend becomes emotional after meeting and losing Kate. "We are going to break inside that cursed place anytime soon the moment Ella got into the castle. It will be a split second opportunity, if you see Kate inside, I'm afraid that you will get tempted to stay inside the castle my friend and our mission will meet an epic fail!" he said.

Ramza shook his head. "Nah. I don't think Kate is still alive. She's been long dead by now. So, you have no reason to get worried about me," he lied. Deep inside his heart, if he sees an opportunity, he will seize the chance to find Kate inside the castle.

Zemeth stared at the horizon above and spoke. "There is no problem entering the castle, the biggest challenge is getting out...because no one has attempted getting out alive," he reminded his friend.

Ramza nodded his head in understanding, showing a grim expression on his face.