“It was risky.”

Mikhail said as he sat in front of the cart with Jin over there.

The night was still dark….or half-dark. I couldn’t tell the time, but sunshine was on its way.

“It was our only way out.”

Jin answered as pulled the reins which directed the horses to move. Jin was trying to be ignorant and was answering only to the questions asked.

Nothing more and nothing less.

“Fortune doesn’t always pay you well.”

Mikhail added to the situation created by Jin.

It wasn’t Jin’s fault indeed.

An unforeseen event like that was just too unexpected. Someone knew that we were going to perform such an activity and had already placed some measures to resolve the issues.

But, what bugged my mind more was her sudden distraught of movements when she saw Mikhail.

“It did this time.”

Mikhail frowned upon Jin’s response. It was a defensive gesture which he acted, but still was a reckless move.

But, before we could even utter a word, he pulled the reins and made the cart stop with a jerk.

“Neigh!”

The horses yelled at Jin for using such a brute force to stop them.

We were taken by surprise as well, I fell on my knee and lost control of my balance, but Mikhail on the other hand was lying on the ground with his face fed to the ground beneath.

“Never knew earth was so tasty,”

“Is it?”

Jin asked Mikhail in a teasing yet ignoring way.

“Yeah, taste it two times and you’ll crave for the third.”

I jumped down wondering how he fell down from the cart to help him up, but just ended up staring him for two seconds.

“Helping me?”

He enquired as he raised his arm in front of me.

“Y-Yes.”

I replied, but it was too late as he had already got up.

“Now, go away.”

Jin said as he now looked in front, he was all ready to slap the reins again to move.

“Wait!”

I called him up.

“Alias? Where is she?”

“He said he’ll find her and if he said….he will.”

He answered and then left with the carts.

“By ‘he’, he meant ‘John’, right?”

Mikhail asked me, to which I just nodded and continued inside the forest to walk towards the Lake where everyone was halting for the moment.

“She seemed to know me, right?”

He asked as he walked alongside me.

“I guess,” I replied, “Jin mentioned her name, ‘Amanda’, strike anything?”

“He didn’t mention a surname?”

“No.”

“Well, that doesn’t help.”

He said as he scratched his head.

“But you know someone by that name?”

I asked.

“Maybe, but I am not sure.”

The answer wasn’t clear, but it seemed that he wanted to keep certain things private and I still didn’t consider as to someone who can pry in his life yet.

But judging by his reactions she must’ve have been very important to him.

“Mikhail?”

I said which grabbed his attention. He turned around and looked at me.

“Thanks!”

I said to which he smiled and started walking again.

“That was still close. I mean, never knew women can be so powerful.”

He said as he cleared the path for us.

“If Maria were here, she would kick you by now.”

I replied to his comment in a jokey way.

“No, I can imagine much worse.”

I guess he took it seriously as he started imagining stuff which I can’t tell or even guess. Maria is a sweet character, but at times she can become a demon with fangs.

“But, what we should really talk about is….’John’.”

He said suddenly and stopped in his tracks.

“What about him?”

I asked.

“I don’t trust him, do you?”

He asked as he got close to me.

“He is too suspicious for anything.”

He whispered in my ears as if there was anyone around us in such a dense forest who would listen to us.

“He is.”

I replied as I always had the same opinion, but for some reason John was just too different. He wasn’t valiant for sure, not even benevolent either. There was just no way to understand what his motives are.

“Why do you follow him, then?”

He asked.

“I don’t follow him, this was a bargain. A deal of sorts.”

I answered for it was really.

“Still—“

He was saying, but something stuck his feet which made him fall over again.

“Where have you been?”

A voice familiar was heard. I peeked a little and followed the thing which made Mikhail fall and observed some motion in the bushes nearby.

I recognized what the thing was, it was a leg and I even recognized who it belonged to.

‘We’re screwed.’

I thought as I saw Maria coming out of the bushes. She was angry; she should be, but way too angry. Her beautiful face which glistened like snow was all red. Her hands over waist. She wore a white skirt with a green top. It appeared that she had finally taken a bath that she deserved. Her hair was still wet, which made her look even more beautiful.

But, this was no time to admire her looks as now I was going to be questioned and had to answer it appropriately.

“Where were you?”

She asked me again, behind her now stood Avon with a confused yet angry face as well. Krial stood faraway, leaning over a bark of the tree.

“I—“

I tried answering, but was interrupted by Mikhail who now had tasted the mud…..again.

“When I said I crave, I didn’t mean it.”

He yelled referring to what he had said prior in front of Jin. Guess, time really wants him to have a leap in the muck.

“Were you with him?”

Maria questioned again, but this time, she looked dead into my eyes.

I couldn’t look straight towards her. It was daunting and frightening. I quickly looked at Mikhail and made an effort to help him get up.

Seeing me help him, and his previous statements made Maria clear that I was with Mikhail.

“Why were you with him?”

She fired another one.

“Now, am I that much of a troublemaker?”

Mikhail asked her back as he dusted his cloth and tried cleaning his face which he considered handsome.

“Why do you think I asked him then?”

Maria replied with another question.

“Hey, that’s unfair you know.”

Mikhail rebutted.

“You tried to sell us off.”

“That’s the past. I’ve changed.”

Mikhail said as he looked at me. He was hoping for me to stand with him, but being in a situation like this was tiresome to me. I had stay true to both, which is hard.

So, I just nodded without saying any word. A silent nod would be enough to make her believe that he had changed?

“I don’t believe it.”

Maria raised her voice as she stepped towards me.

“If Sire says, then he must’ve—“

Avon tried to talk, but was interrupted by both Maria and Mikhail.

“Don’t call him that, or else I’ll kick you.”

They both said in the most alarming tone I had ever heard.

It was evident for Avon to step back immediately.

“But…”

Avon tried to speak, but this time I cut in between.

“I don’t like it as well, just call me Mortis.”

I said as getting respect wasn’t bad thing, but it felt wrong to have it if I haven’t done anything worthy of it.

That said, I am nowhere worthy of getting anyone’s respect. My negligence and stupidity has caused this whole mess. Thinking about over and over, made my heart ache and in amidst of that, someone like Avon calling me Sire…just made things even more difficult to me.

“Okay.”

Avon replied in a soft voice which sounded same like a baby apologizing.

As Avon walked away from the scene, I followed him. Mikhail and Maria continued their useless banter. No one was going to prevail…..pretty much everyone knows that.

Probably, that was the reason why Krial stood away from us. I sneaked my way out and walked towards Krial.

“There’s a difference between responsibility and recklessness.”

Krial spoke up as I got close to him.

“Hmm?”

“What you did was reckless.”

He added.

“I didn’t want to—“

“Even though you want to or not, one thing is clear.” He said and then raised himself to stand straight, “We already have dragged ourselves in this mess and we agreed to help each other out.”

“Though, that still does not make it……right.”

I said in a soft voice.

“Mortis, everyone has a reason here, Maria is protective about you, Mikhail sees you as a friend, Avon doesn’t want to fail. Whether you accept it or not, everyone here is involved now.”

I kept quiet with no movement, my head slowly descended as I started looking the ground beneath.

“Trust is a heavy burden and a hard thing to achieve. I already am betrayed by some….now that I am trying to build it again—“

He said as he came close to me and then again turned around and walked away.

“Krial?” I called him out which made him stop. He didn’t look back, “You said everyone has a reason, what is yours?”

I asked him, which made me turn around, but in an instant he looked forward. As he took a step he said, “I didn’t much of a choice.”

******

[Somewhere near Terra]

On the bed which lied in a dark corner, a woman slept. It appeared that she was badly wounded and not in the condition to walk at the moment. The room was dark, but was lit instantly as the door was opened which paved a path for the sunlight to walk in.

“Is she okay?”

A man asked as he was walking inside with a nurse.

“Yes, I am.”

The woman of the bed replied. Hearing his footsteps, she quickly tried to sit upright.

The man looked at the woman in delight.

“You’re awake.”

He said as he walked closer.

“Keep me in dark-damped room and then suddenly flash the light in.”

She said as she tried to see. Her eyes still hadn’t managed to adjust the current scenario.

The man chuckled and gestured the nurse to leave them alone.

“Didn’t expect the Guardian of Flames to be stabbed.”

He said as he walked closer. His footsteps were light. He looked fair, with blonde hair and blue eyes which seemingly made him look handsome and beautiful. He wore blue robes with black and silver lining.

“How is that I always find you in precarious states?”

He asked as he tried to sit on the chair besides the bed.

“It’s just my luck.”

She replied and then looked away.

“Would it hurt for them to build some more windows? It feels like I am in a cave or something.”

She said in a grumpy manner, but humour was instantly broken by the man.

“What happened?”

He asked in an instant with a dead serious tone.

“Nothing that concerns you, Spike.”

She answered with the same speed Spike had posed the question.

“And how did you find me, anyway?”

She asked him.

“Where are we?”

“Yuga.”

He answered as he got his right leg over his left and his right palm clenched towards his cheek.

“I was just passing by and then saw you.”

Amanda looked down at her wound. She was stabbed by someone, the wound could have been more fatal, but it was all too fortunate that Spike was close-by and could help.

They both knew that there were unknowns and knows involved with this situation.

As they were thinking, someone walked through the door.

“Furens?”

Amanda spoke out in absolute confusion.

A boy walked inside, he wore black drapes with two curved swords tied behind his waistline. He had eyes that of an angry demon, they were red and nothingness emboweled through it.

He walked close towards Amanda and then caught her by her collar. His grip was tight which made Amanda lose her balance even when she was seated.

“Where is he?”

He asked her as he tightened his grip, he didn’t look at her condition nor her wounds.

“Where is he?”

He asked again and again and again.

“’He’, who?”

She asked as she finally mustered the energy to smack his hand away freeing herself from his grip.

“You know who. You fought them. The Revivers.”

He replied as he panted with anger.

“Revivers?”

“Yes, now tell me where he is….”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about—“

She tried speaking, but was again tried to force by Furens.

This time she had no energy to reject him and it looked clear by his expressions that he didn’t care what happen to her, so long as he gets his answer.

But, Spike stepped up and stopped Furens midway.

“One more step and I’ll make sure to smack your head on the wall.”

Spike said as he stepped in between.

“Get out of the way, this doesn’t concern you.”

Furens replied to Spike’s statement.

“Is that so?”

Amanda watched them closely and she was sure that they would end up fighting.

So, she spoke up….

“I don’t know who you are talking about. They all wore scarfs over their face and it was dark, I couldn’t see anything. So, I am not sure that they were the Revivers.”

She said and then avoided eye contact. Furens looked at her and tuned around immediately and left.

“You couldn’t see?”

Spike inferred.

“This doesn’t concern you…..I just need to confirm something before I do anything.”

She replied looking downwards.

“Okay, then. I’ll be on my way..”

Spike said as he walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

Amanda asked out of curiosity.

“The Land of Trades, Terra.”

He replied and then continued his walk.

“Meet me when you are all okay,” he said as he left, but then again bent backwards to take a last sneak, “If possible meet me at Terra. I’ll take you on a date there….”

He completed as he chuckled and finally left.

Amanda face-palmed herself. She tried to stand by getting her legs down, but she just hadn’t recovered much.

Her thoughts constantly moved around like a pendulum, her past flashed in front of her eyes.

‘You can wash your blood away, but someone else’s……you can never wash that away from your hands. It was and will always remain yours to bear.’

She remembered something.

“Mikhail, was that you?”

She said as she watched the ceiling with her hands clenched and tears which settled around her eyelids.