Chapter 04: Miracle

"Are you willing to try even knowing that you will only meet 'Failure'?"

Pisces Code - 2:1

The breeze brushed her skin, waking her up from seemingly deep slumber. Sophia rolled at the side and stretched her body to loosen up her stiff muscles uncaring to the uneven and hard surface she was laying on. She thought of going back to sleep when she realized the reality, a supposed surprise attack, their ransack ships on fire, everyone was dying, and she lost her consciousness.

She quickly sat up, touched her neck whilst scanning her surroundings, alerted. Five soldiers were lying unconsciously beside her inside a carriage she couldn't remember climbing in. She sized them up, noting a familiar uniform. Lighting by the sun through the open door of a familiar vehicle, she recognized him.

"Captain Hoven!" She gleaned seeing a familiar face but soon squinted to the presence of the four more soldiers, clearly not from her nation but she was more attracted to the herbal paste on his captain's body. She examined him, wrapped on crude clothes where the herbs were cleanly applied on wounds. She thought, 'Whoever mended him is a professional!'

She examined the others out of curiosity as a physician but did no harm to them. Their wounds were covered with leaves just like hers. She hurriedly put back the bandages to avoid infection.

Nothing to focus on, her eyes landed on the green garbed men. Memory of the horrible blade cut her neck replayed in her mind resulting from her face to deprived emotions and she hadn't realized. She crawled reaching a closer green-garbed warrior, eyes glinting with vindictiveness. Her hand was slowly extending to the neck of the poor sleeping warrior, showing signs of normal heartbeat. Her eyes hinted at sinister thoughts, 'Just a little pressure and things will be alright.'

Her hand grabbed the neck of the man. She slowly put pressure on it but the man couldn't cry. He just lay unconscious. Her hands were pressing the neck of the man harder and harder when the whiff of herbal penetrated her nose knocking her senses back before it was too late. She snapped off and quickly took her hand off the man's neck, "What am I doing?"

Her hand was shaking as she stepped out of the carriage and sat under a tree. It was the most disturbing thought she had all over her life. Who knows what would happen if those four woke up, but she wasn't a killer. She was a physician. She calmed down herself and found something to work out her mind and the most suitable job for it was to cede her thirst of curiosity over the mending done to them.

She took a closer look at her own wounds, a great distraction for a person like her. She examined the medicines put on it. She was familiar with the plant wholly pasted on their wounds but it smells made her have a second thought of the plant she has in mind. It smelled menthol that sooth her mind, the quality the plant Vlávi didn't possess. It was the same smell that snapped her back to her consciousness before she could do a hideous act she will regret for life. She hugged her hand thinking she was hugging the herbal, 'You save me a second time.'

She sat there sometimes meditating for her mental health's sake.

Hours had passed but she couldn't perceive any shadow of whoever helped them out. She scanned her surroundings to kill time, and found it foreign - the giant trees, blossomed flowers, and budding plants that seemed satiated to the fertility of the land. She promenaded, eyes fixated to its wonders. The view was so inviting that she couldn't help but be curious. Her drifted mind was woken up by a series of howls from behind.

She turned back and jumped in fright. Their upright ears wriggled, vigilant to the surrounding sounds. Their pale green eyes fixated at her that sent horror down at her spine. Their gray tails wagged but she was unable to interpret it. They were slowly approaching her. To her fear, she heedlessly ran deep into the forest. The wolves followed her and frightened her more.

"HELP! HEEEELP!" she shouted over her lungs hoping someone would respond. To her frenzy, she stumbled on the ground. The wolves halted, an action she failed to see in the positive side. She crawled towards a tree, picked up a fallen stick, and pointed it towards the wolves warning, "I mean no harm wolves. Just go!" Her voice was quivering from fear.

She bit her lip realizing what she was saying. 'Am I mad? These damn beasts will not understand you, Sophia.'

She winced realizing her mischance. She survived the war only to be food of those wolves.

Ere things went wrong, a figure emerged behind the wolves, petite and young. She sure was going to ask for help but seeing the body, she could just hope that the figure ran for her life, "Run! Ask for help!"

She knew that by the time the figure came back, she was inside of the stomach of the beasts already. Her shaking hands held the stick as if her life depended on it, she shouted again, "I said run!"

Instead of going further, the figure approached her until she saw the figure's appearance that shattered her hopes or she thought so. A young figure - ponytailed hair tucked at the back - in green garb!

'Damn it!' realizing it, she could only think of the figure as another prey.

As the figure approached, the wolves stopped barking and tails wagging. They made space for the figure. The figure brushed their furs passing them one by one. They didn't stop wagging their tails even sitting on the ground of their own accord.

The figure extended an arm, gently smiling with a familiar feminine tone, "I am sorry for the inconvenience of the wolves. I should have brought them."

She has a thick accent just like her, but she was wearing a green garb. Odd enough that underneath it was a she!

Sophia glanced at the wolves before her eyes landed at her. Meeting the eyes of the lady, she felt chill run down to her spine from the apathetic mien of her and the cold eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul. The wolves suddenly barked, causing her to jump in shock, snapping her senses back.

Realizing Sophia's worries, she assured, "They will not bite you if I say so."

Sophia heaved a sigh of relief believing her words. The obedient attitude of the wolves told her that they were hers. She grabbed her hand with her shaking hand whilst trying to calm down but her body betrayed her thoughts as she lost all her strength causing her to sit back again. She reached the hand again using the stick on her other hand to raise her body and she wobbly stood up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She couldn't help but steal glances to the young lady as she was led to a destination she couldn't remember she had passed by. The figure was friendly and gentle, but what was she doing wearing a warrior's garb?

She scanned the forest but found herself lost. She bit her lip in embarrassment. She ran frantically not taking notes of where she was going, but she couldn't be blamed. Being pursued by beasts was horrifying enough for her.

"This way Sophia," over her drifting mind that she hadn't noticed she was going the wrong way, she heard the young lady calling her attention through her name!

'Wait! She knew my name?' Though confused, she followed her, a meter behind. The wolves trailed them. The silent walk was an opportunity for her to ask. "How do you know my name?"

The young lady simply answered, "You told me."

"I told you? When and where?" She was being frantic again. She never disclosed her identity to strangers.

The lady confronted her, "For formalities, I am Clio."

Sophia ruminate and found the memory she was looking for. The night that she thought she was going to die, a young lady named Clio approached her. Her eyes incredulously stared at the back of Clio who was walking further away from her. She ran to catch on her and never opened her mouth in embarrassment.

Finally, the carriage came into view. Clio checked on the other five whilst she sat next to the rear of the carriage. When she was assured of their states, she gestured the beasts towards the front of the carriage.

She watched her attached harness to the beasts that were unbelievably obedient.

Clio offered her the seat next to hers.

Sophia was skeptical of the series of events. A young lady that was possibly an enemy saved her life, her captain at the back of the carriage lying unconscious next to their opponent's warriors at that, and beasts that are hard to tame were now pulling their carriage, their unknown destination and the miraculous herb. To top it all, she was ignorant to almost everything!

She grabbed the silence to ask, "Excuse me young lady, may I ask questions?"

She has a lot of questions in mind including their destination.

The young lady nodded, "You can ask questions but don't expect me to have answers to it all for I am also lost for some answers."

Sophia hadn't realized the deep meaning of her words, but she anyway asked questions that bothered her the moment she woke up, "Uhm! May I know how many days I fell asleep?"

"Five days."

"Five days?"

"Yes."

She expelled little of the herb on her arm to confirm its effect and was surprised at its healing speed, already at the last phase. She incredulously asked again, "Are you sure it's just five days?"

Clio nodded.

Out of curiosity, she inquired, "May I know what herbal medicine is? Its healing power is incredible! Lifesaving!" she couldn't hide her excitement that she ended up forgetting her current situation.

Fortunately, the herb seemed not to be a hidden secret among her tribes as she feared.

"Vlávi - a topical herb," she pointed on a grass-like plants conspicuously crawling on a tree. "That is where they grow."

"Eh!?" Sophia's jaw dropped, realizing how naïve they were. That kind of plant grew everywhere, even on deserted land. How could no one see its effect?

They studied it and found that the plant couldn't produce such a smell and effect. She probed, "How? We studied and experimented that kind of plant from its roots to its sprouts but found no purpose or whatsoever. It's literally useless."

"Harvest old leaves of it but make sure to find the right one, pour it with salt water, and enclose it for a day at least. The longer you enclose it, the better the effect. Have you ever used that method?" Her tone was gentle as they first met.

"No. I think we did not." Sophia embarrassingly admitted.

"You humankind has a long way to go," Clio exhilarated. 'No! They had degraded their skills,' she thought.

Sophia felt silent, unable to believe the effect of the conspicuous plant that they all thought just grew there for one purpose, beautification. Over her drifted mind, she remembered her sinister plan earlier this morning to the green-garbed men. To ease her feelings of loss, she asked, "What will happen if they all wake up? Will we fight each other to death again?"

She was expecting her to agree. They were after all not in good relationships.

She heard the confident reply of Clio saying, "No. You will not."

She didn't know why but she felt secure in her words. As they traveled, she asked various problems regarding medicine. As Clio didn't mind it at all, she went further that she thought beyond human understanding. "Do you believe that in ancient times, humans healed themselves through their astral energies blessed by the Celestial Almighties?"

Clio's lips went thin before she answered pensively, "Not exactly. Humans can do those things as well, depending on the astral energy they possess. If not enough, they can only use their energy to stop the wound from bleeding. After that, they should seal it through medicine."

Sophia gawked as she hadn't expected an implausible answer that made sense. She felt that the opposite party really knew things beyond her understanding. She asked her further questions related to medicine wishing to be given pointers and Clio didn't let her down.

Clio was giving her some pointers about medicines and she learnt them earnestly forgetting her situations. Her lost mind and terrified feelings vanished whilst her passion for medicine came to a new height. She doesn't even care to ask their destination anymore. She just wanted it to last for a long.

The night came. Clio gathered firewood and put a fire in a crude manner expected of a young lady like her. As requested by Sophia, she let her refresh the herb on the warriors' wounds. She did well as expected to a physician. As she was mending the green-garbed warriors, her fear and desire to end their lives was replaced by her passion of healing that she forgot their status.

To her interest too, Sophia also asked to unclutched the three wolves by herself to let them search for their own foods. The wolves grew fond of her from their travels as well as she, so when the wolves were freed from their harness, they rubbed their heads to her legs. She reciprocated it by caressing their soft furs before they set off.

Basically, Clio has nothing to do much anymore, a relief for her tired body. She hesitantly lied down on the ground next to the fire and fell asleep immediately.

Sophia sensed her exhaustion possibly because of taking care of them for these past few days. She might have little sleep or nothing at all. She sat next to her and sang a lullaby, though she wasn't sure if it would lull her. Everything was just right, the night's darkness, the coldness of wind, the warmth of the fire, and her lullaby.

Hours had passed and Sophia yawned, unable to resist her desire to sleep. She wanted to lie down to take a nap but decided to take the night duty as a guard, so she needed to do it right. Her eyes became heavy but she endured it knowing how dangerous it was to leave everything unattended. She was gazing at the moon when she heard noises inside the carriage. She immediately entertained those men who woke up simultaneously, 'What a headache!'

Fortunately it was dark, but when they emerged from the carriage lighting their clothes, they realized one of them was wearing a blue garb. Alerted, they confronted each other in a fighting stance.

"Who are you?" a man in a green-garbed asked. The bandage beneath his eyes was conspicuous. He was immediately protected by the three, a sign of his high status. His strong features couldn't be mistaken for a fine family origin.

Before things could go wrong, Sophia stepped in the middle. She hushed, "Shh! someone is sleeping." She pointed to Clio sleeping soundly next to a fire. "She's the one who saved all of your asses. A little respect, can't you?"

Her thick accent bothered them. It wasn't peculiar to their open kingdom, but their situation was different, so no one could blame them.

The warriors scrutinized her from head to toe. Her unusual dress gave a foreign impression that both parties couldn't tell. They squinted at each other but they took their seat on the fire heeding to Sophia's words when they didn't sense killing intent at her. They were alert, not giving any room of assassination.

Hoven was way more anxious because he felt he was surrounded by the enemy. He didn't even recognize the soundly sleeping lady who claimed to heal them, but the other one was a little familiar to him but he couldn't pinpoint why, plus he was on the enemy's territory. He sat up with enough distance to the others.

"Lieutenant Tjardis, ready for an order from young master Bien." The man reported was bulbous and had a hard look. He seemed calm on the surface but was worried about the family he left behind. He saluted before he retreated. He seemed relieved already.

"Elite warrior Danis from third platoon sir!"

"Elite warrior Kale from the fifth platoon sir!"

The other two soldiers followed his introduction with a salute. Bien ordered the lieutenant to investigate their location leaving the two soldiers beside him. After a moment, Tjardis came back.

"Young master Bien, according to our geographical conditions, we are at the High Kingdom territory but far away from civilization." Tjardis reported.

"Lieutenant Tjardis, be vigilant," Bien answered him with another order that was obediently received by Tjardis who whispered the same things to the other two. He faced Sophia and asked, "Excuse me my lady, may I know who you are and the house you are serving?"

Sophia squinted.

Bien cracked a smile and said, "Just want to return this favor of yours when we arrive at my city."

The woman shook her head. She gazed at the young lady sound asleep next to her, saying, "She saved us all. If you want to return the favor, it will be on her."

She stood up and bowed at the blue-garbed man that startled him.

"Sorry for the late introduction Captain Hoven. I am Sophia Andres, physician of the second squadron."

Bien and his men were shocked. They immediately form a fighting formation as if expecting assassins from the darkness to emerge. "Who are you working with?" he asked, a little depressed as they don't have weapons and are not in good shape to fight.

Sophia returned to her seat next to Clio. She didn't answer them. She was also tired, so she quietly fell asleep knowing those men would surely guard each other. She wasn't afraid of them and she got that confidence from Clio. It was her opportunity to turn their wariness into worth spending for.

Her action dumbfounded each warrior gathering around the fire. Bien and his men looked at Hoven who only shrugged amidst their piercing gazes.

'How could she act like that? Free and no fear?' realizing he wouldn't get any answer, Bien decided to sit and wait in the morning.

Lieutenant Tjardis who had been observing the surroundings found something suspicious. He brought that topic to his master.

Tjardis saluted and Bien saluted back. He reported, "Young master, the carriage doesn't have animals to pull it." He eyed the two sleeping ladies in bafflement.

Bien, together with his three men, quickly checked the front of the carriage where he saw the evidence of a harness but without oxen or horses to draw it. He squinted.

Tjardis commented, "Those ladies haven't been pulling us from their own strength, have they? Their frail body couldn't afford the strength needed, but how?"

Hoven, who joined them from a distance, chuckled. He enlightened them, "They surely let those things to hunt their own food." A little knowledge to share will not hurt him and it was common to tribes who couldn't afford to take care of their own animals to free them.

Bien found a loophole to his claim, "In a short time they were able to tame to that extent any kind of animals that could pull a whole carriage and come back timidly?"

Hoven shrugged, "We will know tomorrow." He walked out from them leaving them alone. He has no strength for a verbal argument. 'These highlanders really enjoy life in luxury,' he contested in his heart.

The soldiers stood rooted to where they stood, unable to make up their minds. After some time, they end up sitting together surrounding the fire but with enough space to give time of defense or counter attack if ever someone suddenly sneaks an attack.

Bien ordered his men to gather more information about their location and be on the look-out.

The fire danced as fiery dust sprinkled on top. Two ladies were sound asleep next to it, oblivious to the fiery wariness going around.

⨳ ⨳ ⨳

In her finest raiment even knowing it will be just hidden under her simple white gown, Ada gaiety left her quarter for her morning class. She was whistling, thinking her plan - of befriending her classmates - will have a success this time. Her eyes landed on a lovely maiden at the other end of the bridge connecting their lodging tower to the academy's main area.

The gentle winds blew her wavy hair when her steps entered the premise of the open bridge. Every student that passes through it was greeted by an open wondrous picture of nature from side to side. The students seemed to grow accustomed to it as they just promenaded to reach the other end overlooking such a picturesque view.

Stuck in her room, contending her whole life against her older brother and thirst for his father's attention, Ada crafted a mind different from most of the students. Even after months of seeing such wondrous pictures, it never failed to amaze her. With a painted genuine smile that was lighted more by the sight of nature, she graciously advanced.

Some eyes landed at her with curiosity, some eyes looked at her with admiration to her nature, whilst others just meekly passed by.

She was just two meters away from the lovely maiden, when another gentle and graceful hand snatched her from her sight.

"Terra, come! I'll show you something," she heard the last words of the familiar graceful lady in a fleeting cadence.

She halted and solemnly diverted her sight to her right side admiring the beauty of nature from above.,"Terra and Thuraya are really good friends. How should I approach them to consider me as one of their own too?"

She fell into deep thoughts not realizing the time was ticking. Flock of birds passed by her sight. A new spectacle she hadn't seen before and that snapped her to the consciousness of time.

"No! I'm late!" she carried her steps as fast as she could.