Liam’s guilty
shrieks dissolved in her mind. She was still flustered about Liam’s change of attitude.
She had never seen him fuming over a deer’s delicate death. But why did Liam
say the deer was poisonous? Why did he lie to them?
“Are you hungry?”
Chase asked, severing her reverie. They stride past the barren land, and walked
right into the heart of the forest. Ciara could smell damp water coming from
the creek. Cicadas cried. Owls hooted on her right side.
The deer scene still
cascaded around her head. She had never seen the Crude Brothers react like this.
Let alone, Liam.
They had been
walking for hours, moving under Chase’s guidance. Ciara guessed it was already
night time, because the atmosphere turned cold, breezing through the woods.
“Where do you think
Liam is?” Ciara asked, almost getting weary from the long walk.
“My guess would be
somewhere mining Philters. I know it’s a little odd, but this is not the
first time we had an argument like this.” Chase said grimly, “Sorry you had to
witness that,”
Ciara shook her
head, “That’s not the point. If we don’t find him, what’s going to happen when
we get back?”
“Punishment, I
think. We never break the rules once, so we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Chase said. “Ah, here it is.”
The two of them stopped
at the mouth of the cave. She could hear the sky rumbling, the air turning
moist.
“Let’s go inside.
It’s starting to rain.” Chase said.
They had already accessed the expansive cave when
it started to rain outside. Ciara glided her free hand across the uneven walls,
and noticed something embossed on the rocks. Gems?
Thunder crackled
from the sky, and as soon as Ciara heard it, she gave a loud yelp. Her body
quivered, her heart drummed louder in her chest.
“You’re scared of
thunder?” Chase asked amusingly. Ciara scowled. She hated thunder, and she
didn’t like someone teasing her about it. Chase apologized. “Sorry. Here, I’ll
help you warm up.”
She could feel the
plushy fur covering her shoulders from the cold. A stream of rain battered
outside. Icy wind blew swept past her as thunder crackled in a distance.
“Too bad we can’t
find Liam in this weather. I guess we have to wait until it stops raining,”
Chase said, “Let’s sit down, and I’ll prepare the fire.”
“But there aren’t
any logs here?” Ciara asked.
“That’s why we have Swirls.”
Chase reassured her, “I have one, just in case there was an emergency like
this.” Ciara heard him rummaging his pockets. “Watch this.”
Fire erupted in
front of them. Ciara braced for the heat, but she couldn’t feel anything. She
was still shivering, and there were no traces of invisible heat reaching her
skin.
“The Fire Swirl is protected
by a force field that retains the fire in low heat,” Chase explained.
The fire switched to mid
temperature, and later, she could feel a warm air shrouding them from the cold.
“So this is a Swirl. Amazing,” Ciara muttered.
“Yeah…” Chase said sheepishly, “About
Liam…well, you don’t need to worry about him too much. He’s just....weird…”
“What do you mean?”
Ciara asked curiously.
“I’m sorry, but I’m
not supposed to tell you. It’s a family secret, and since we’re now inside a
cave, I’ll show you how to mine a Philter,” Chase explained, dodging the
topic of his older brother. “My weapon is the bow and arrow. Realia said I
can’t use a ponderous weapon because of my wooden leg. So she gave me this since
I have a keen eye and a sharp hearing sense for targeting my enemies.”
“I see…” Ciara
asked. “Can I have your bow?”
“Sure,” Chase handed
the sleek bow to her. As soon as Ciara grasped the bow, her sensory cortex had begun
processing the data in her brain. A
bronze handle forged with a robust
string, and the honed arrowheads. Ciara’s fishing rod was nothing compared to Chase’s bow, which
had been constructed and deformed countless times. Ciara gaped. “This bow is
amazing.”
“Thanks,” Chase
chuckled. “One thing about mining Philters is to use a short-axe, like the
one I have here.” Ciara heard a slight sway in the air, so she knew Chase must
have raised the short axe to show her, though she couldn’t see the thing. “The finest
Philters are mostly found in the Northern caves. Each cave has a
different variety of Philters. If I were to tell, I would say this cave
has more Iron Philters than the rest, which means we’re in
the Western side. Here, I’ll show you.”
They progressed
toward the middle of the cave, where Ciara could hear streaks of water dripping
from the ceilings. Ciara sensed Chase stopping nearby, examining the cavernous
walls because of the scraping sounds.
“Well, look at that,” Chase said delightfully.
“It’s not just Iron Philters, but there’s also Copper, Silver, and Metal Philters
in here too. Let’s see…maybe I should start on the left side—no wait. I need to
gather all these Iron Philters first…”
A halo light flickered
across the darkness. Ciara stopped. Did she just saw a light? Not just any
light, but it came straight from her inky sight. It was as if her vision was slowly
rectifying itself.
“Did I just saw…the Philters
glow?” Ciara cautiously asked, thinking it was a hallucination.
“Yup. Philters
glow in the dark, so they are easy to spot at night.” Chase said gleefully,
handling the weapon to Ciara. “Careful, it’s the short axe. Try not to drop it,
okay?” Ciara clasped the axe. The handle is worn-out. The blade has been
sharpened countless times, and it’s heavy. Ciara analyzed.
“I wished Liam was
here. I’m sure he’ll be happy once he gets to see these Philters, especially at night time.” Chase said dreamily. Ciara
also wished the same thing.
I didn’t kill it! Liam’s voice filled her thoughts.
Ciara shook her
head. Chase stuttered, “I-I’m talking again, Sorry—maybe I should go first,”
“Let’s see…oh, there
it is,” Chase mumbled, and Ciara heard a minor smash on the wall. He must have
smashed a Philter, because she could hear the stones cracking on the
ground. “Every Philter has different uses. For example, I’m trying to
get the Bronze Philter for the bow. And next is the…Aha!—the Amethyst Philter.” Another smash, another collision between the blade
and the rock. Chase kept bashing the wall, and Ciara waited until she heard a
different sound—more like a bell than a normal thump.
“Okay, I got the Bronze and Amethyst Philter,” Ciara heard Chase slipping the rock on his pocket.
“These two Philters are, what you call, a perfect match in terms of
regenerating the Silver and Metal. Bronze refines heat and Amethyst for
cooling. When combined, the forging processing will sharpen the arrow heads and
build a massive level-up on the bow and arrow.”
“How do you know about these
things?” Ciara asked, while Chase smashed another rock in a different position.
More rocks tumbled across their direction, and smaller rocks made dusty sounds
in the air.
“Well, you could say
that it’s my…err...talent,” Chase said, “After all, I’m the one who created
this leg.”
Ciara sensed Chase
picking up a small Philter in his hand, and noticed that he was skimming
his thumb over it, because of the slight scraping sounds he was making. Chase
said to Ciara, “You know, if you’re vision wasn’t destroyed, I’m sure we’ll be
sharing the same experience right now,” Chase continued, “These Philters
are beautiful. At day, they look ugly, but at night, they look like stars in
the sky. And even with the war still on, I will do whatever it takes to get
everything back to normal, especially Liam. ”
Ciara smiled, “I’m
sure you will…” she repeated, “especially Liam…”
z
Even with the rain
still pouring outside, they still continued to mine Philters throughout
the night. Chase was brimming with happiness. He was keen to explain every Philter
they had collected, letting Ciara touch and feel the shape, the weight, and the
size of the Philters. After they were done, Chase gave Ciara a Food Swirl. It tasted like lemon
juice and filled her stomach with nutrients as if she ate a heavy meal. Sour…fruity
acid, and sweet.
The rain wasn’t
stopping, so Chase spread the furs on the floor and lay down, wrapping
his arms around Ciara’s waist. Ciara blushed. She wasn’t used to having someone
hugging her—especially a boy, but Chase didn’t seem to mind.
“Sorry,
but can I hug you like this?” Chase said behind her. She could sense a pinkish
aura radiating from his face. “I-If you don’t like it—"
“No, its fine,”
Ciara said, “I’m glad that I have company.”
“Thank you…I can’t
seem to get rid of my younger habits, you see…” Chase whispered. “Back when we
were young, I used to hug Liam like this,” he stammered, “I-I’m sorry, I
sounded like a little kid, again.”
“That’s normal,”
Ciara said, because she too, was scared of thunderstorms.
“Can I ask...how you
became blind?” Chase asked carefully.
Ciara took a sharp
intake of breath and let her mind drift to the rain—to the sounds of leaves
plopping down—and Chase’s shallow breathing. He must be wearing a simple shirt,
and jeans. His arms are bare, just like mine. She revolved her senses
around her. We’re sleeping in the middle of the cave, not too far from the
mouth, and close to the fire, wrapped in fur. But it took long before she
could answer Chase’s question. “I was tortured by the Specialists.”
Chase gasped, but
Ciara continued, “Last time Liam asked me, I didn’t answer him, but now, I feel
like talking about it. They burned my village, the Metric, after Madam Fier had
finished spreading the Prophecy. It was obvious. Metric was the only village
that opposed the Epicenter, and because of that, Virgo killed my people and
captured the disabled people. I wasn’t blind at that time so I don’t know the
reason why they made me blind. It doesn’t even make sense.”
After a few moments
of silence, with the fire crackling and the sound of rain pouring down, Chase
took a deep breath and exhaled, “I’m sorry…You must have experienced so much
pain.” he said, “Thank you for telling me this. I’m going to sleep. Goodnight,
Ciara.”
She had never said
goodnight to anyone before, and it gave her heart a little boost. For the first
time, someone appreciated her company. Back at Sore Tower, she had experienced
loneliness, but now, with Chase and Liam, she was somebody.
“Goodnight,” Ciara
mumbled before she dozed off.
z
“Well, well, this is
a pleasant surprise,”
Ciara’s eyes
fluttered open, and immediately noticed that Chase’s arms around her were gone.
Chase's body temperature was warm so she knew his back was facing her, sleeping
side view. Another minute had passed, and Ciara sensed Chase sitting upright,
whisking his head because of the loud shuffling movements.
“Liam!” Chase said,
surprise in his voice. “What are you doing here!?”
“I should ask you the
same thing,” Liam said. He was back to his normal self—mischievous and
annoying. “What are you doing here sharing a bed with Ciara?”
“I-It’s not what you
think!” Chase stuttered. “W-We didn’t have a bed, and…”
“Yeah,
yeah. You’re scared of the dark, and you wanted to hug someone because you
missed company,” Liam said in irritation. “But this is not about your old
habits. This is Ciara we’re talking about!”
“I know…I know…but,
she didn’t mind…right, Ciara?” Chase asked nervously.
Ciara nodded. She
was glad the Crude brothers were back to their normal selves, especially Liam.
The rain had stopped, water had dried up, and the cold temperature was gone,
replaced by a mild heat. It’s sunny outside, Ciara said in her mind. The
fire had died down, and the fur was skewed aside on the ground.
“Geez, you really
are clueless, Ciara," Liam said, "Anyway, better get up, and hope
that we don’t get any punishment today,” Liam’s voice was getting farther so
Ciara knew Liam was already outside the cave.
“Did you have a good sleep, Ciara?” Chase
groaned. Ciara knew he was having a hard time scrambling to his feet because of
his wooden leg, so she helped him up. “Thank you," Chase said, "Well,
I guess we needed to pack our things and return back to Sputter Palace now.”
Ciara knew Chase was
slipping his fur on, so she held his hand, and noticed the Philters embossed
on his hanging bag. Hundreds of Philters.
Is he planning to take all of it? Ciara
thought.
“Let’s go, Ciara,”
Chase said, and the two of them rejoined Liam.
z
Liam was waiting
outside when the two of them came out. Ciara could smell a strong scent of
liquor coming from Liam, even if she was afar. Was he always drinking
alcohol? Ciara thought.
“Where were you last
night, Liam?” Chase said, still holding her hand.
“In a cave,
somewhere beside the lake,” Liam replied without any hint of anger. He’s
back to normal. Ciara thought. “I had to meditate first before I had to
find you guys. Unfortunately, the weather was so bad, I had no choice but to
stay inside the cave and wait until dawn.”
Then Ciara felt
Liam’s elbow resting on her shoulder, “And why are you two holding hands
again?”
“So I could steady
myself. Why? I hope you are not jealous,” Chase teased.
“Jealous?” Liam
exclaimed and went into a theatrical act, “Look around you, little brother. You
can find pretty girls everywhere, and not just pretty—but gorgeous ones too. I
hate to break it to you, but I don’t find Ciara attractive,” he continued,
“First of all, she’s blind. I mean, how can you tell the difference between her
beauty, when she had those ugly eyes of hers? Second, she’s not good at
fighting, and third, she will never have the chance to see. Do you want to
marry a girl like that?”
Liam’s words crushed
Ciara’s heart. Is he telling the truth?
Did he really think I'm not pretty and…useless? Ciara thought, so all of them are just the same. They
think I’m a nuisance because I have disabilities.
“Liam, you went too
far!” Chase shouted at his brother, and was now talking to Ciara. “Ciara, Liam
doesn’t mean that. He would never criticize y—”
Ciara held strong
and said to Liam, “If that’s what you think. So be it.” Ciara gritted her
teeth, and kept calm. This was nothing to her. Back at Sore Tower, she heard
several disabled people causing a fight with the Rein guards because of
criticism, but she always kept her distance and swallowed every pain and sorrow
in her heart.
“Ciar—” Chase began.
“I never thought you
were handsome anyway,” Ciara turned her head to the other direction, frowning.
She could sense Liam laughing at her. “And you shouldn’t judge Chase for what
he chooses. It’s his decision, not yours. So if you think there’s a chance that
you can grab a pretty girl in this world, then I won’t stop you.”
“I see,” Liam
snorted.
“Liam, say sorry to
her,” Chase scolded.
“Hmm?” Liam hummed,
still teasing her. “But why?”
“Because, what you
did was wrong,” Chase said, “Ciara’s my friend, and even if she’s disabled, she
has feelings too, you know. Just because you’re not disabled, doesn’t mean you
can bully her, like Kyra.”
“Well, for starters,
I’m not Kyra,” Liam said nonchalantly, “And I will never become like her.”
“Then say sorry to
Ciara,” Chase groaned,
“Fine,” Liam said
sheepishly, “Sorry Ciara,”
“Promise to her,”
Chase said sharply.
“Alright,” Liam
chuckled. Why is he laughing? Ciara thought. Liam continued, “Ciara, I
promise that I won’t bully, or hurt your feelings for the sake of my little
brother. Can we go home now?”
“Ciara?” Chase
asked.
“It doesn’t matter
to me if it’s a promise or not,” Ciara said, “I don't like you either,"
Liam whistled. “But even if you’re annoying, I don’t hold a grudge on you. I’m
not that kind of person, and hatred is not a good thing.”
“Well, that ends it,
right little brother?” Liam said, chuckling, “Ciara doesn’t ask for my
forgiveness, so I’ll let her be. Come on, let’s move on already!”
“Are you okay about
this, Ciara?” Chase whispered.
“Yes, don’t worry
about me too much.” Ciara muttered, “And thank you for defending me.”
She could sense
Chase smiling at her, “If someone bullies my friend, I will do whatever it
takes to protect them. So remember that, Ciara.”
The three of them
moved forward, but Ciara silently knew that deep in her heart, she loved Liam.
Though her feelings were still fuzzy, because she kept thinking about Chase
too. The anger had been forgotten in her heart. Liam was Liam. He was the one
who saved her from Sore Tower, so she couldn’t blame him. But this feeling was
something else. Jealously? Guilt? Maybe that was the reason why she was disappointed
when Liam said that she wasn't pretty.
“Oh, hey! To lighten
the mood up, look what I’ve got!” Liam shouted, and Ciara sensed that he was
raising his hand, holding something that was dead. Heavy smell of
feathers…claws…an animal. Ciara gasped.
“My word. I can’t
believe you caught a Turkey!” Chase cheered, “And it’s not just a Turkey,
it’s—”
“A Beltsville Small
White turkey!” Liam continued his sentence, “I can’t wait to show this to Ms.
Stupey. I bet her eyes will pop out once she sees this.”
“How did you get to
catch one in this short period of time?” Chase asked.
“Lucky chance,” Liam
said, “It’s a funny story, but here it goes. I was lying down on the floor,
trying to get some sleep, when this turkey climbed on top of my arm and poke me
in the forehead,” Liam laughed, “And then, I used my excellent hunting skills
and stabbed the bird in a blink of an eye.”
“Get out of here,”
Chase teased.
“Really, I’m telling
the truth,” Ciara could sense Liam was having a good time recalling back his
memories. I’m just glad that he’s back to normal. Ciara thought.
Ciara smiled weakly.
Even though she couldn’t see what the turkey looked like, she could feel the
auras of the Crude brothers—happy and golden. I guessed Liam and Chase’s
argument has finally paid off after all. Ciara smiled.
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