Chapter 113 – The Runaway Princess (3)

Joshua had taken Zola’s advice. He ventured into the woods with a backpack and relaxed there for a while. He returned back, a bit cheerful, with a thin smile on his face. He ambled about in the woods, kicking the grass on the floor, making crunching sounds.

He saw the town of Edawick. He smiled. He ambled to the entrance only to feel a tingling in his palm. This made him uneasy. He went back to his home. He put his things on the table but taking his rifle with him. He left the house and roamed around the town only to see Silo’s bruised face. He looked broken. His eyes bruised. His face, bloodied.

“Silo,” he jogged to him, “what the hell happened to you man?”

“Hah, Joshua, so you are here, where did you go?” He said weakly. Joshua could hear a helpless tone in his voice. It bothered him.

“I was out in the woods. Zola took off with Titus so I took the chance to calm my head.”

“I see. Well, that’s good for you friend.”

He looked down. This made Joshua frown. He put his hand on his shoulder. “What really happened here and who the fuck did this shit to you?”

“Bastards, Templar bastards,” Silo laughed while tearing up. “Did you know? Apparently, she was a princess. They took her away Joshua.”

“What?”

“Cyra, she was the princess of Maltius La Fende. No wonder she was alone when she came into Edawick and was bad at everything before the people taught her.”

“They took her?” Joshua’s eye turned cold. “And you let them?”

Silo tilted his head. He looked at Joshua. “Did you think that I didn’t try?”

“I can see that you did. You didn’t chase after them?”

“They were itching to pull the trigger,” He said. “They didn’t care and took her like that. Joshua, why does life kick us in the balls too hard?”

Joshua bit his lip. He exhaled through his teeth and his head turned coldly calm. “Are you going to chase after them?”

“She’s a princess, and the Templars are holding her. Surviving that chasm was easy, but this time it’s the Maltius La Fende, she is their princess, and do you know how many people have tried, yet failed, when trying to find her? Do you think that they’d just let me take her back without a fight?”

“So you intend to abandon her? What the fuck Silo?”

“It is easy for you to say, Joshua!” Silo hissed with tears running across his cheeks. “I love her. But how could I do anything?”

“You haven’t even tried!”

“And do you think that they’ll let me easily take her? Not to mention that they took her away on a flying ship! They could be heading back to the Maltius demesne right now!”

“So that’s it then?” Joshua could not believe what he was wearing. It hurt listening to the hopeless Silo. What happened? He was filled with confidence when he left and he was smiling about yet faced with these despairing event he cracked like that? Ah, could it be that she was his crutch? thought Joshua. He understood that one of the driving reasons that made Silo struggle back was her. Maybe he forced him to do so. And now that she was taken easily with Silo unable to do anything about other than cry. How could Joshua blame him?

He clenched his fist. “Damn it,” he murmured as he looked at the despairing Silo. He thought that he would finally be at ease after a few nights in the woods. But what was this? What was this scene before him? It was an absurd event that even he could not understand!

Joshua shut his eyes. He flatted his back on the wall. He then wiped his face open. He took a deep breath and turned to Silo. What could he say to him? That he would take Cyra back? What can he do? He didn’t know what to do at the moment. He thought that he would find anything yet there was nothing that came to him other than chase after her.

He was no fool. He knows that doing what he wanted to do will provoke the Templars. He thought to stay low yet this happened. It was a sick cosmic joke. Joshua could not help but laugh helplessly. He stared at the streets. The people were looking at them funny. He could hear their questioning voices. What can he do? He knows that there was one option. But it would risk his life. Cyra was a friend. He treated her like a good friend.

He thought that maybe Zola could do something about this. But he didn’t know where she was. Before he left she told him that she was going to explore the forest to gather data.

How could she know where she was? She was a free person and she was like the wind too. She could not control her and now he was faced with this dilemma. He just doesn’t know.

He could only stand witlessly staring at the flow of people walking past them. They seemed so happy and clueless. Unlike them who looked like they swallowed something awful.

Silo was sobbing quietly. He looked so pitiful with his head leaning against a wall. There was no word of comfort that Joshua could do. He wanted to chase after Cyra. But how can she do that when she’s on a flying ship and heading who knows where? If what he heard from Silo was right. Then the people who took her place importance to her. Surely, they won’t just let Joshua take her back. Even if they recklessly charge they will have nothing to go for. It was like chasing a bird on foot. It was a terrible and tiresome idea.

Joshua could start searching. He could. But it would end only in him doing a fruitless search. That was why even though he wanted to take Cyra back from the people who took her. He could only frustratingly pray that Zola would return. She maybe had the means and that Omni-forge of hers could be helpful tracking her down.