CHAPTER 10
1905 Words
CHAPTER 10
Mission 10: Eliminate The Taboo
"WHAT DO YOU THINK you're doing?!"
"Hush!" Grey signaled his index finger to shut Amber up.
"Get away from me or I'll use the sword I gave you to cut your throat," she threaten.
"I think someone's following us, " he said.
"That can't be. Why would they?"
Amber calmed down. They both slowly take a peek from that alley.
As soon as they moved their head to there, they came to face a man's body. They looked up to see his cousin, Dio.
"Dio?"
"What are you doing here?"
He straighten up and he stuttered as he speak.
"I wa - - was ju - - just - - ahmm... " he cleared his throat.
Dio grabbed his nape with his elbow.
"Yo, Grey. You did not tell me you met a cute girl here," he whispered.
"What? I was just... " he tried to deny.
"Hi!" Amber greeted with a gentle soft voice. She tried hard to make her voice as girly as she can be.
Even he was shocked at what she did.
"Ahmm. Hi!" Dio waved at her, blushing. "What's her name?" Dio whispered to him as he poked his elbow on the side on his stomach.
"Don't you know her? It's Ambe - - "
"Ambrosia. My name is Ambrosia," Amber suddenly introduced.
"What a beautiful name! I'm Dio. Grey's cousin," Dio introduced. "You somehow looks familiar. Have we met before?" he asked.
His jaw almost fell at what his cousin blurted out. Is he for real?
It just feels weird seeing the darker version of his manager at the modern world, saying something he would never thought he could say. He just witness him flirting!
"Hey!" he gave him a nudge to stop.
Amber smiled sweetly. "Maybe because Amber's my twin," she uttered.
There was a moment of silent. Dio just stared at Amber. While he was looking at Dio. He was nervous. What if Dio wasn't dumb to buy Amber's lie?
"Ah! You're the first squad's Captain's sister? Really? I never thought he has a twin as cute as you. So, that's why you looks familiar, " Dio said excitedly.
Well. Dio can be considered dumb for not realizing her lie. But anyone would buy her lie. He even believe her to be a man. Not until he witness her taking a bath.
Amber nodded. "I was asked by Amber to take their new member to buy a good sword," she said.
"How about you? What are you doing here, Dio? " he asked him. "Did you intend to follow me?"
"I was just having fun with some comrades at the pub when I saw you passed. Then I saw you met with a cute girl. I followed you because I just got curious. You never go out with a girl before," his cousin told him.
He took a sigh."I'm sorry for such a rude way that my cousin acted," he said to Amber, who was slightly blushing.
"Well it's not being rude. I'm just curious," Dio answered.
"That's still the same. Just return to your friends. And leave us alone."
"I will. But would you wanna join us?" Dio offered.
"No. We'll leaving," he answered.
"Yeah. Sure!" Amber blurted.
"What?!" he asked.
It was a small pub just at the end of that long street of market.
It was like a haven for drunkards. He was expecting like something of a high class bar. But it was way worse than he thought it was.
Men inside were more like wasted pirates rather than just drunk soldiers. Is this how they usually do during off training days?
"This is a bad idea, " he whispered on Amber.
She just smirked. "I'm Ambrosia, Amber's twin sister. And this is a nice chance to find out our kingdom's men thoughts."
Amber went inside and was not afraid to dive into the place where all were men.
He hurriedly followed her inside. He just felt he needed to. It looks like it was his responsibility to look out for her. Because Amber looks like a girl right now that she is wearing a dress.
Every men inside turns their head to her. She was like a flower who plunges into that place.
They arrived to the table where Dio's friends were sitting. He can see some other familiar faces though he doesn't know their names.
There the men interviewed her. And of course, some would recognize her familiar face. And Amber still introduced herself as Amber's twin.
Minutes passed, Amber already chugged few mug of beers. She began to act like a man. She starts yo lough loudly and her voice is somehow turning back to the voice she used at the training camp.
Men around doesn't even mind about that. Because they were already too wasted to take time realizing they were drinking with the real captain of the first squad team.
"Stop drinking and let's head out," he whispered to her.
"No! Later."
"Amber. You're a woman, remember?"
"But I'm stronger than you. You consider yourself a man, but you can't even beat me," she said.
"You're just drunk."
"No. I'm not. Watch me. " She stood up and raised her hand that was holding a beer. "Who wants a game? An arm wrestling!"
He could use an earplugs that time if he wanted to. Everybody shouted in excitement.
They set up a table and began to settle to begin the game.
Amber constantly defeated the men who lined up to challenge her.
When he can't take anymore, he pulled her away from that place, carrying her on his shoulder like a sach of rice.
She even waved the men goodbye.
She was singing an unfamiliar song yet easy to remember rhythm. she put her down on the first bench he saw outside, a few shops away from the pub.
"Stay here. I'll just get you something to drink to make you sober, " he said.
She nodded.
He hurriedly find some shop that sells drinks. Damn! He never experienced taking care of a drunk woman. Good thing the amount of his money was enough to buy her a drink.
He went back again to where he left her. But she w wasn't there.
He panicked and looked around. But he breathed calmly when he saw her helping a child who was playing a target archery at a certain booth.
It was amazing how she aims the second prize though she was drunk.
Amber gave the toy prize to the stranger kid.
"I'm sorry. I didn't got you the first prize," she said.
"It's okay, miss. I was so happy I finally have a toy. Thank you! " The kid ran off to the crowd.
"You still need a drink?" he asked as he hand her the drink he bought.
She smiled. "Yeah? I think I need something to sober me up."
Again, they seated a bench.
It was a long silence before Amber talked again.
"I was the only child in the family," she started.
That made him look at her. She was staring at the starry night.
"My father used to served the kingdom. But during war, he lost his left foot. It is a must to send one man per family to join the kingdom's army. And I can't send him to war."
She looked down and smiled bitterly.
"So, I cut my hair short, used man's clothes, build myself to be stronger than a man. But a woman can never be as strong as a man. So, what I did was to use my brain. I started out to be the lowest in rank. With determination, I finally reached the top."
It was really a shock for him. Not only her narration but also the fact that she was actually telling him her background.
"Come on. Let's head home," she said as she stood up. "So much for the information you need to know."
She was about to walk w hen she suddenly felt dizzy. He quickly stood up to catch her, to support her.
"I told you we shouldn't go with Dio," he said. Hew as supporting her to walk on the side of the street.
They need to get at the end to get her a ride.
Safely, they arrived and even got her a carriage to ride on.
Amber waved goodbye.
He took a sigh after she left. He felt on his hands the sword she bought for him.
"Damn! This hands were not really for battle. I still can't get used to it. If only it would be easy to defeat the dragon. "
He took another sigh, deeper than the first one.
"Why am I here in the first place? Damn! If only someone could give me answers," he said and raggedly brushed his hair.
He have to go home. He raised his hand to get a carriage for himself. But then he remembered he have not enough money. He bought his coins for Amber's drink earlier.
"Damn!" Out of frustration, he kicked a small stone nearby.
It was just then when he saw a light.
It was a familiar ball of light approaching him. It was floating in the air and he can't seem to avoid his gaze from that thing.
Now, he remembers. It was that the same ball of light that appears the first time he was sucked in to Enchantria.
When the ball of light finally was near him, it moved and changed direction.
Without thinking, he followed its direction. After a few meters away from the market, the ball of light finally stopped.
The longer he focus his eyes on the ball, the clearer he saw what it really is. Something is inside that bright ball. And he's squinting his eyes hard so he could just see it.
First, he saw a fluttering pink wings. Soon, a small body was seen. It was a tiny human.
It was not a ball of light. It was a small person with wings!
He couldn't believe what he just saw. It even made him stepped back.
But as soon as he took a step, he bumped to someone.
"Hey! Watch it! " Amber exclaimed from behind.
"Amber? What are you still doing here?" he asked.
"How about you? What are you doing here? You're just staring at blank space like you just lost your mind."
"I just saw a fairy. It was a small person with wings. I never thought I could see one in my life. I thought it was just a ball of light," he said excitedly.
Amber's forehead crumpled. "A tiny person with wings? " she asked.
"Yes. It was just this tiny. And it was just here."
He turned around to show her what he saw but then he found out it was already gone.
Next thing he knew was Amber pulled his sword and aimed it to his neck.
"What are you doing?" he nervously asked her.
"You did saw a pixie? " she asked.
"Pixie?" he asked too.
"The one you saw was called pixie. And there are only few who can see pixies."
"And? What's wrong with that?" he asked again.
"Pixies are considered taboo in Enchantria. Don't you know that? They're cunning. They're traitors. Seeing one and doing nothing makes me wonder if you're with them. Tell me Grey. Are you a traitor?"
- Writer
