Into the iris

Chapter 3: Not a safe place.

Just like that,two days passed by and it was time to embark on the journey to Arem. They set out at midday and headed towards the city's gate, the city of Vauldeen was populated and it flourished in it's way. The people were remotely peaceful,no one wants to be on the radar of the queen.

     The people unlike what the princess expect dressed the same way from where she came from,the streets were filled with different by passers and you haven't seen that much magical beings fill a place. 

     They got on a carriage headed towards the city's gate, Yasmin couldn't help but wonder how the city was filled with so much people when they keep saying people die back home. The carriage ride was so quiet and the trio were deep in their thoughts. Each one of them trying to assure themselves that they will be fine, trying to push away any from doubt.

    The carriage ride lasted for hours on end,as usual Javi sat motionless with his eyes closed.He probably was tired due to the hardship he has been through this past few weeks, always laying low and trying to protect his sister.

   He can vividly recall twenty years ago, before his parents died.How time has passed, how strong and independent he has become. The memory of his five year old self running towards his parents as they came back from the hermacade.

   His mother's petite body pulled him into a hug,her smile was so bright and warm. Her ginger hair barely reached her shoulder,she carried him into the house while her father lagged behind as he was taking to Chantelle.

    There grandmother was making dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. Dinner was so merry and long because his parent took time in explaining possible everything that happened to them at the hermacade. Those were the good times,the moments that you would wish time can slow down.

      His parents were so anxious about their coming trials,there was gleam of hope in their eyes. They assured everyone that everyone that everything will be fine. Little did he know that this moment can't last forever,or this promise was a mere illusion. That was the last time he saw his parents,cause they couldn't make it.

    They arrived at the city's gate  at sundown and the place was filled with guards and people. The guards at the gate were huge and built with a stern look on their face. They carefully run an inspection on the people who pass through the gate.

   It didn't take long for the three of them to appear in front of the guards.There inspection was different from anything Yasmin has ever seen before, they were to stand in front of the guard and he drew a circle on the hand mirror in front of him and the mirror color shows green ,then they were allowed to pass through the gate. Yasmin was afraid this guard would stop them from passing because she doesn't belong here.

   The trio headed towards the woods,the princess couldn't help but stare at Javi. He seem to know where he is going,his quiet and cold demeanor has not changed for the pass two days. Yasmin moved forward till was walking side by side with him.

  "Can i ask you a question?,no questions?."Javi frowned at her question.

   " You can ask my sister that, princess"

  " I want to ask you since you seem to know where we are going. What was that thing the guard was going?,and why are we walking into the woods?." They were moving into the woods,it was already dark. The night cricket sang into their ears, mostly deafening their ears with loud cricks. Trees surrounded them,the moon was up in the sky showing its full glory.

"This is the only way we can get to Arem,by morning we should have reached the sea. The thing you are asking is called a casting mirror."Javi answered and continue to move ahead. Yasmin turned to Chantelle who has been strangely quiet the whole time.

"What does a casting mirror do?"

"It's a mirror used for casting, the mirror can reveal if a person is in the wrong, or good. That casting mirror you saw are only used by guards and it can detect if you are a threat or you are hiding anything that doesn't belong to you."Yasmin was satisfied with the explanation,but it made the princess wonder why she wasn't detected as a foreigner. She didn't even know this place exists until two days ago.

    They moved deeper into woods, the moon shine brightly serving as  heavenly light through the woods. The walk was getting tiresome, still Javi stayed ahead with no sign of having a stop.

   "Am getting tired and I think my legs are swollen.Can we take a stop."Yasmin asked no one in particular,Javi looked back at the girls and he scorned in disapproval.

"Sorry to bust your bubble princess,but we can't do that.Its better we keep going till we reach the safe zone."Yasmin was taken aback by the response that she got from the stern faced brother.

   "So you mean we have been in the danger zone all this while."Yasmin said  with disbelief.

  " Yes princess,we don't have all night." Javi said with a indifferent frown.

  "Stop calling me princess"

  "But that's what you are. Aren't you princess?."Javi moved away from the girls,Yasmin felt her blood boil in anger.

  "Javi,stop being a jerk. I also want to rest,go ahead we will meet you at the sea bay"Chantelle said and this was enough to stop Javi on his tracks,he moved towards his sister and grabbed her hands. He pulled her along with him, leaving Yasmin behind.

   "You are my sister and you are coming with me." He looked back at Yasmin who was trying to keep up with them and added"You can rest princess, maybe the racoons would have fun playing with your hair."He smirked, pulling his sister along with him.

"Asshole" Yasmin muttered under her breath as she watched the siblings move ahead of her.

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    Lesley seek coverage behind the sofa. The crashing sound of glass filled the house, the madman kept ruining the house. His ruthless behavior holds no bound,he kept breaking the objects in the house.

   "Lesley……., Lesley…… where are you?. Lesley……"The drunk man kept throwing the objects, while his daughter hid behind the couch to avoid being brutalized by her wretched father.

      Lesley hid behind the couch,this rage she felt from within holds no bound. Lesley deadbeat father stormed into the kitchen,he threw a frying pan out the door and yelled his daughter's name for what happened to the hundredth time.

     The hidden daughter hated the sight of her father and the leash which once held down her patience has loosen,her blond hair has been packed up and her golden eyes glim with anger. It's about time she does something about this,and fast before the madman kill her.

    She got up from her hiding spot ,She grit her teeth as she looked at the condition of the house. Newspaper were scattered everywhere, broken bottles, upside down table and knives stabbed into the walls. The room smelled of alcoholand sweat,With her incredulous speech she reached for her father and punched him on the face.

    "You b***h…" Her father who appears drunk as a skunk was taken aback by her action. He reached for her hair and pulled it with force threatening to tear it off her scalp.

    She pulled away from his grip and stretched out her claws aiming at the mad man. She leaped and pushed him into the wall,her father let out a painful groan with filled Lesley with satisfaction.

   "It's about time i get rid of this bastard,"she thought as her claws tore into his cheeks. The metallic smell of his blood hit her nostrils,her father pushed her away from her.

     The sudden action of her father caught her off guard and she fell back,his eyes also golden as her was a challenge she was willing to take.

    They kept attacking each other in full force, even her father's drunken state couldn't diffuse the inhumane way her father was hitting her. She extended the favor by returning excessive punches on her father's face. With her shirt torn and fresh new sounds appeared adding a new pattern to her already wounded skin.

    Lesley charged towards her father, her claws pierced into his throat and she pulled out his lungs from his body. Her father feel motionless, eyes filled with horror and dead. Blood spilled out of his neck and splat right on her and into the carpet.

      She smiled victoriously and licked her lips. Her body still tingling from the fight,she let out a deep sigh and looked down out her father. She didn't feel any form of remorse or guilty, she crouched down and dig her hands into her father's pocket.

    She searched through her father's pocket and only found four icis .She gritted her teeth in frustration,her father wasn't even helpful to her even in his death. She stood up and kept kicking the lifeless body in frustration.

      She moved into the house and took a small backpack of clothes and left the house with the door wide open.

   "Deadbeat bastards" She said as she walked towards the sea. Not giving a f**k how she looked and how much blood she shed.

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    The trio later took a stop in what appeared to be a rocky part of the wood. The princess hoped this was safe part that grumpy was talking about earlier,she really needs a sleep due to the distance they have  covered.

     They quietly eat the cold sandwiches which they took time in making before they set of for the journey. Javi eyes kept moving  back and forth keeping guard, cautiously keeping an eye on the surrounding.

   "How far is it to the sea?," Chantelle asked her brother who happen to be distant.

    "Just a couple miles"

    "I can't wait to get to the hermacade. Yasmin,there is alot of things to discover. There must be alot waiting in store for us."Telle said with enthusiasm,Her brother smirked at his sister. 

   "I won't say the same about you princess, what do you think is waiting for you?."Javi continue smiling at the stunned princess,a deep frown appeared on Yasmin's face.

  "And what is that suppose to mean?" 

  "For a person who doesn't have anything to offer, how do you think you would cope with your disabilities."It was like her heart as been ripped into two, back home she as always been reminded how different she is from others.But hearing Javi say it makes her feel sad and useless.

  "What have I ever done to you?,you seem to have some serious trust issues."

  " And who am I supposed to trust?, you?. You are quite delusional for a princess, didn't you learn that from where you come from?."

  " Javi,stop!!." Telle pleaded, the last thing she would want is for her brother to cause a fight.

  "I have nothing to say to you, since you are so unique then  why haven't you figured things out. You think you are better than me, just because I wasn't born with one."

   The two of them kept exchanging words at each other and Telle on few attempts kept trying to stop them.

   A low growl got her attention,she slowly looked behind her and a thick mist filled the woods,she sensed trouble slowly appearing. Yasmin and her brother were still arguing to notice what was going on. She heard the growl again and it seems to be getting closer.

"Emmm…. guys" They ignored her,still having the heated conversation.

  "Guys….." She called out even louder and before she knew it. Her brother was in front of her blocking her from the approaching danger. They all heard a growl again but this time louder,the midst obstruct their eyes.

   The princess eyes gleamed blue, and it quickly return to it's original state. Javi and Telle slowly moved back, this time the once low growl is loud enough to waken the entire south iris.

  "Both of you stand behind me,i will try to fight them off.If it's getting bad,run and don't look back"The sounds were getting closer and the birds in the trees flew into dark night.

    "What in the world are those?" Yasmin said as she stared into the midst, her throat dried as she saw two big foxes who appeared to have bath wings and fork tongues of a snake.

    "What is what?" Javi looked at the princess who happened to tighten her grip on his arms. He couldn't see anything but from the growls and snarls. He knew what they were up against.

  "Vorxes" Javi said to no one in particular, The ferocious creatures charge at the trio and the princess pushed the twins out of the way.

  "Watch out!!!." This got the creatures more angrier , they immediately bounced back and moved towards Javi. A vorx went after the princess while the other one was attacking Javi with it's sharp claws.

   "Jeusro miv deju agravamin." Chantelle chanted,her hands pointing at the princess. The vorx tail slowly cut fire,the creature wailed in pain but still charged at Yasmin. The princess kept blocking the creature's violent attack ,the vorx claws scratched her left arm and blood dripped down the fresh wound.

   The other vorx smelled the blood and it threw Javi into a three and ran towards the princess.Ready to kill it's prey,it snapped it's teeth. Before it's could pounce on it's tasty meal,a clawed hand tore into it's bat wings.

      The vorx let out a painful cry as it's  wings was out of it's body. The beast attacked it's intruder with rage,the clawed hand again pushed into the skin of the beast tearing another flesh away from it's body.

   Yasmin pant heavily as she stared at the vorx catch fire in front of her.The creature kept flapping it's large wings but it didn't take long for it to also catch fire.

   The vorx madly flew into the dark forest leaving them to settle with the second vorx. It appears to the princess that the other vorx is in a worse state compared to the first one. It's body part as been ripped out of it's body and the wings were missing.

    A short blonde girl battled with the beast and she happens to be taking the lead.She bravely fought the vorx and her golden eyes brighten in the dark woods. The blonde girl swiftly moved behind the vorx and pounce on it's back holding it's Head through the neck.

   Her clawed hand dug into the creature's neck and it fell lifeless on the group. The forest turned quiet again except for the heavy breaths coming from them.

   Chantelle and Yasmin ran towards Javi who looked badly hurt.He groaned in pain,the wounds in his body were freshly opened .

   "Are you okay?,Javi." Telle asked,tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

 "This is all my fault,I should have kept my mouth shut." Yasmin said as she crouched looking at the bloody shirt.

   "I guess that makes two of us, princess." Javi said with a painful groan,then he added " i will be fine but I can't say the same for the girl".

  " Where is she?"Telle eyes moved around,the midst seem to have disappeared and their savior was no where to be seen.

   "I don't know, she was just right there.where did she go?"Yasmin asked no one in particular, the trio lifted Javi off the ground. Javi kept staring at the princess wondering how she could see through the midst and they couldn't. His wounds were slowly healing due to his healing element and it didn't take long for them to continue their journey to the sea.

     Javi was evidently lying when he said they would rest at the safe side of the woods. The truth is there is no safe side, and hermacade definitely isn't a safe place either.