Hush in The Bush

To Tell A Story

Stepping inside, she understood that it was her retort to do things. When she had discovered the truth about how it happened from Roxan herself, she was willing to share it with the three, as they are the only ones she could put her trust this time, despite of the barriers and conflicts that she had calculated to arise soon. She needs to give her guts the chance to move. As far as she can remember, she didn’t betray Roxan, but she’s doing a favour for her. It is the only thing that she could do to pay her back for the small time that the woman had offered to serve the New League.

Before she had been gone, she decided to visit the woman’s office and left a letter to explain her side. She knew that Roxan is not that bad at all and had the mind to settle and gather things. The tattoo on their necks is the symbol of their loyalty to each other. Even if she would be a traitor to the others, she had hoped that Roxan would understand her side and why she was doing it.

The coldness that had crept on her back from the lips of the pistol continued to make her angst as she stared over the woman who was slouching over the corner, she couldn’t stop but to give in a chortle. She didn’t foresee Devian to be so burnt by her situation, just like how she locked up her prisoners in her organization. Luckily, she isn’t pained by the Trinity that much. She whistled the same song from Roxan and Catheryne was able to hear it, making her freeze to the ground. She wanted to ask her about it, but the moment had obstructed.

Mildred stopped the sound and decided to communicate with Devian who’s not minding their presence as if they’re just mist covering the room. She had just got the news that her personal assistant had totally worsened and was eliminated as a test subject. George wanted to let her know at least about him, hoping that she would ask anything about, but she just remained reticent.

“It’s a nice scenery to see you here.” She said to her.

“I didn’t ask for any visitor this time and I guessed you didn’t let the two captains know about this.”

“You’re right. It would cause a ruckus if they’ll know that Mildred is here and that we’re helping her out.” Isabela pushed her more to her to deliver the message.

“Okay. Okay. I’m not here just to sip some coffee if you have some or just let time run nonsense.” She took the paper and flipped it open. She read it once again and made sure that it was the thing that the nun had given her. She directly tossed it to her and it landed on her lamp. It was more crumpled than before but the message could still be read by Devian. When she recognized the familiar writing, she instantly focused on it. When she confirmed to whom it had come from, she turned to face the wall and read the whole text.

“She’s being anxious.” George whispered to Isabela.

“It’s obvious. You don’t need to tell me.”

“Come on. Time’s up, old woman. I guessed you read it all well. Now, based on what you understood, you should know that some of your men who you left are still breathing over that damn underground. Also, they’re waiting for their queen to go back, unless here’s something that would change how things would go this time.” She remained calm.

There was a gap of silence from Devian until she faced her with a grin on her face. “You know what the big deal here is? You…” She pointed to Mildred. “You don’t know what is happening for real.”

“Well, woman-”

“I got a name. It’s Devian. Devian Brodan.”

“I heard your name. The famous Queen of Flame in the west. I also heard that you set that fire in one of the villages there just to get the people to join the force of you, wicked.”

“Just tell her already. We don’t have much a day to talk.” Isabela said.

“Of course we do, princess. We need a lot of time to talk about…History.” She quoted with her fingers. “So, let’s begin.”

Mildred pulled the woman’s clothes to make her get out of her room and sit outside, surrounded by them. She then took another one and sat like she owned the whole place in front, snapping her fingers to let them sit too.

“Let’s have a little journey of history.”

A FLASHBACK

“Do you like chocolate with a bit of a frosting on top? Whether it’s the dark one or the ordinary one. Your bet.” She munched the last bar that she got from her drawer.

“Either way, we don’t have one here. You got the peanut flavor.” She spins the pencil.

“You’re right. We don’t have time to imagine things that are not here. Reality is a mess and so are we. Do you know what happened to the founder of this?”

It caught her focus and basically Mildred wanted to know their own history and why it was built. “Share to spit?”

“Obviously, we know her by the name Beck. She didn’t share about her last name, except for the old man who’s been sticking around since the first day. Well, it’s what the most had shared. The main reason why she did it…is to take revenge to the man she thought to be responsible for this chaos. She travelled around for days with her partner, recruiting and at the same time finding the man.”

“Who’s her alliance?”

“He’s Mr. Braul. Much older than her, but his looks don’t match his age. He’s fit, just like the portrait over there.” She pointed to the picture that is resting beside the wilted, dusty flowers on the shelf. “He’s a fine-looking man.”

“Did you meet the two?”

“Of course, but I’m more close to the woman. The guy is a bit stern and didn’t want to be around with such a presence. He loves to stay here. This was his place before.”

“I see.”

“Beck used to be a lovely, accommodating person, not until she had to kill her own daughter. At that time we still didn’t know that we could live with the infected one, using these.” She pulled her clothing. “Even if it’s foul, it is a great help to be here. So then, Beck and Mr. Braul had married each other despite of their age gap. Love truly has won despite of that state. Later on, she held to her addiction of finding that doctor. She didn’t give up until her last call. I remembered she called me once, only to find out that she’s passing her crown to me to lead the whole.”

“Was she a great leader?” Mildred nibbled her nail and crushed it to bits with her teeth.

“Yeah. She was a mother to all. More like a protector.”

“How about her partner? What happened to him?”

“Mr. Braul died the following year. We buried them where the extraction is located. I bet they became as fertilizers now too.”

“Did they find the one they’re looking for?”

“If they did, then why are we still operating? Why are the bushes still growing? ”

“Probably because the man still didn’t find such a cure.”

“I bet wouldn’t seek for the cure. Do you really think this is just a mere accident? Everything?”

Mildred stared a bit and thought about it. Something came to her mind. “Did they intentionally make this? At what cost?”

“Beck told us that the man wanted to see how nature would take over the world. The explosions were made on different sides, making sure that it would surround the whole area. We travelled day and night. Ate small bits of food that we brought and drank those barrels filled with raindrops.” She stood and opened the box that was under her feet and took an old map. “We checked those that we have visited and as time goes by, we clearly saw that this place is locked. The bush had surrounded wholly. We tried to go to another town, but we can’t. We tried other routes, but they’re all blocked with those massive flowers that are about to burst. Fortunately, we got a lead about the man once and we’re following it until now.”

She took the gum from her shirt’s pocket and munched it. It has a bitter taste that came sweet after a few seconds, making her first and enjoyed afterafterwardswas the first time that she had enjoyed talking to Devian since she become one of them.

“How will we find the man?”

“Oh, you mean the V that they called? As far as we want to hunt him, there’s only one thing that described him the most – the rose and the cat’s eye on his nape. Well, there was a single time that we had met him…accidentally. We didn’t know that it was him, until his hair was cut by the blade of our comrade. We almost got him, but he got such reinforcement, surrounding us like a plague is about to s***h our throats.”

“I see. So you wanted to be the heroes to save everyone.”

She heard her laugh and her cheeks had flushed. “Who told you that?”

“Hmm? No one. I just remembered someone who acts like that. He wanted to wear a cape.”

“Oh.” She patted her shoulder. “You see. You can go back to Trinity, the way you wanted.”

She was stunned by her words. Mildred didn’t know if she was messing around with her or she was severe by it. “What? But that would mean I would betray you.”

“I know. But, I’m sure you won’t betray us if that will happen.”

“How come you can say that?”

“Because the one we’re searching for is just so near to you.” She whispered, giving her those colds.

When their conversation was done, she went to her room, moving in the same direction. She was rubbing her chin as she tried to convince herself about it. Roxan’s eyes were full of purity and she was not lying at all. This time it’s not about her instincts, but she’s also trusting Roxan’s words more. Roxan knows more than her about the man. And now that she got the opportunity to search for him too, she needs to gather her trusted comrades, only if one would believe her too. And that she’s hoping that she would be defended by Roxan from her people.

__

“So you’re saying that one of us here knows everything about this?” The doctor hysterically questioned.

“You got the mind to understand what I’m trying to say.”

“Of course. You’re trying to make us doubt each other here.”

“If it would save the world, will it be valued? Just consider your life in a small string that is about to be cut. Do you think you wouldn’t want to know who’s the one holding the scissors?”

“We’re not going to talk about arts right now.” Catheryine said. “You need to spit it out directly before Captain Roswal will come here to check up on her.”

“Okay. Okay. Now that we got another leader from an organization, I think this would be enough to take some actions.” She smirked and narrowed her sight to Isabela. “But first, I’m going to talk to the princess.”