The Time Stone Crystal

Chapter 10 - It's not her fault!

Kairo wields his horse faster than usual through Weng's direction. The color of the horse he used to ride change to white. It was one of his ability to change the characteristics of even an animal's behavior. He knows that once a creature becomes an ally of Hyperion, everything will change. They were bound into darkness and kill mortals.   

He has suspicions to see the danger that planned to deceive their enemy and follow Weng ahead. He wanted to divert where she was, but he had to reserve the rest of his energy. He has limited ability due to a lack of power from the stone crystal.

WHILE Weng, she already felt someone following her, so she turned his gaze back. She saw the three warriors riding on a horse chasing her after. "No! Hyperion's warriors!" She turned her look in the front. "They should not reach me. What happened to Kristoff? My God! Don't leave them in chaos." She gripped the reins tightly and steered the horse's pace.

The warriors, on the other hand, speed up their horses to catch her up. They pulled out the sharp swords until they were only a meter away from her. She feels trepidation even more as she fought for her life only to be kept safe from the menace. Kairo! Where are you? Please, save me! Even if she wanted to cry, she was trying to hold back.

She was even more surprised and nervous when the opponent's sword almost reached her right leg. Huh?! She glanced to her right side, and a warrior has attacked her again. No! She is trying to speed up the horse's pace as much as she could. She no longer cares how fast her horse reached as long as she survives. But, these warriors were subtle when one of them blocked her way with a sword from the left side and put the sharp edge to her neck.

"Stop the horse or, otherwise, I will prick this sword around your neck!" said the warrior man on her left side.

Her eyes widened as she saw the sharp sword then swallowed. Her knees were shaking with fear until tears welled up in her eyes. She closed her eyes again. Kairo... sorry! I may not continue our adventure anymore. This is probably the end of my life. Stone Crystal, if you could hear my groan. Please guide me in your power and bring Kairo Middlestone to save me. I am begging!

"You don't want to stop the horse? Well, you're going to die!" the warrior said again.

The man then moved his sword again towards her. They have no sense of the intention of keeping her alive, and the only purpose is the necklace she is wearing. As she waited for the sword to sink into her body, she just heard the screams at her back. She quickly opened her eyes. Huh?! What happened?

A quick light strikes the bodies of the warriors chasing her. She also noticed that her necklace was gleaming. Kairo! They were already bleeding when they fell on their horses, but when she turned her gaze to the front, she was worried again. She saw a cliff. At the speed of her horse, she might go through fall and die. She tightened her grip on the horse's leash again and then abruptly pulled it to a stop.

She assumed she could stop the horse and barely confident not to reach the cliff. But that's not what she expected. The horse suddenly stopped near the ravine, but with the force and speed at the moment, she was in danger. Her body got up and then threw away from the horse. She even loosens her grip on the horse rein and fell to the ravine. 

"No! Oh, my god! Kairo!!" she shouted. The gorge was deep and almost dusky. 

The wind was blowing hard around her caused her body to push down into the deep gorge. With the force impact, she may not be able to survive anymore. Her body may have torn by the time she finally fell in depth. The second time, she would die without having all his questions answered. My God! Will it all end here? You brought me back to life, but this is also what I will experience. I am a very nice person to my siblings and nephews. I am very kind to other people, but why did I end up like this? Don't you love me? Her tears flowed again, and she closed her eyes. If my life ended up here and there is no hope, I will accept. I hope in my third life, I have a happy and perfect life. I'm begging you. He prayed fervently to herself.

Later on, she felt that she was not even falling into the abyss. She felt like she was floating in emptiness. She slowly opened her eyes, and she saw those golden eyes gleaming. Huh?! She saw the young man Kairo Middlestone over her. As she stared at her serious face, her tears flowed even more because of the mixed emotions. She suffered terrible at the hands of their enemies, and at the moment, she almost lost her precious life.

Kairo slowly approached her and touched her right cheek. His finger wiped away those tears. "I'm already here." The young man said. "As I promised, I would follow."

"Y-you didn't promise," she sobbed. She doesn't hear the young man's promise that it would follow her.

"I promise, but you just would not able to hear it. Not in all cases that you need to listen to my promises. I am different from others. I am the man in action, not into such pledges. As long as you promise to stay and rebuilt the stone crystal together, I will stay alive. "

She nodded gently. "I-I understand. But...I'm scared. I'm scared—"

"Ssshh." He blocked his finger on her lips. "Don't say that. The fear of a mortal like you is just in your mind. Just think that you are doing it for the sake of others, and you can return to your world safely. Because otherwise, you will just be wrapped in fears as you always say." He removed the finger from her lips and then gently grasps her hand. "Let's go. They're worried about us."

She wiped her last tears again then she nodded. "Kairo, next time, I want to hear your promise. I'm⸻I'm worried." She will no longer be ashamed to say that to him. She needs to be positive in everything and face it all with courage.

The young man stared at her for a moment and then slightly squeezes her palm as a response. Later on, he took her back to the upper part of the forest while floating. It is a young man's ability that only he can do magical things.

They rode again on the horse she had used earlier. As her eyes focused on the vast woods covered with snow, her mind became capacious free. Perhaps the young man was just behind her strengthening her will as they both held the reins. There are several times she felt the spark as they grasp their hands on each other. That emotion she had only experienced in Kairo seemed to drive her in demented. He again maneuvered the horse away from that place, far away from the resentful track things.

EVERYONE met in a house owned by a Kairo acquaintance near Kew Palace. Kairo hurried to move inside because of his warrior. Hander had a shoulder injury. While she stayed in the living room with Kristoff and Jigger, she only met Thiara. The woman sent back her female warrior's comrade with whom she had seen earlier outside. She felt the motion of the three as she sat on the old European sofa.

"So? You are the woman who kept away from their misfortune as well as Lord Kairo." Thiara broke their silence.

She glanced at the female warrior. "Ah..." She turned her gaze at Kristoff and then turned back to Thiara. "Yeah."

"If it is not all about you, Hander won't harm that much," she said irritably.

"It's not my fault—"

"Fault? How couldn't it be that it wasn't your fault? If we hadn't come as early, these two men might have been buried alive. What do you have that you should protect from?"

"Thiara!" Kristoff accosted her. "You should not blame her. She is important to Master Kairo, and whoever he protects, we also do the same."

Thiara sneers and then turned her gaze in another direction. Later on, she stood up and wants to leave. She wanted to go outside to breathe some fresh air.

"Where are you going?" Kristoff asked her.

“I will go outside. Don't worry, and I will keep myself safe,” she replied earnestly.

"Don't go far away, and maybe our enemies are just wandering around."

"Okay," she replied sparingly.

"I'll join you."

“No, Kristoff. I will be okay,” she refused his offer to accompany her.

"Let him go," Thiara replied.

"Okay," Kristoff said.

She only smiled slightly then turned to go outside. She wants to avoid the discussion between her and Thiara, and she might be able to answer her unlikely. It is better to avoid than to hurt other people's feelings than to agree with them. Also, she does not want to be a burden to the people who want to defend her. Maybe I should just be protected because I hold this mysterious thing. That woman has deranged thoughts, and it is vital. She wanted to laugh at the end.

When she came out, the cold wind immediately blew around due to the cold weather. I made the wrong decision to go outside. I forgot it was cold here. Disgusting! She stood in the shade of a tree, and it has a bench under it. She first removes the snow and then sat on the right side. She feels inside her clothes the cold climate, but she doesn't care. She just really wanted to be alone.

As she contemplated, she noticed the vast garden all around. The place covers by snow, but on the other side, the view is breathtaking. This is the first time she has witnessed the real climate that she has not experienced in her country. If we are in Europe, then the language here is French. But not everyone living in this country is French-speaking. There may be other nationalities as well. Europe is one of the most beautiful structures when it comes to architecture. I can get some information about their ancient construction of buildings and palaces. That's right! She also thought about it afterward. But I did not come here to take a tour or get some information in the past. Maybe one of these days. She sighed after.

"That sighed was so, depth."

"Oh, sweet potato!" She looked at the man who spoke next to her. “Kristoff? I-it's you. You surprised me.”

He moved and sat down next to her. “Are you surprised? I forgot to tell you that it is cold out here, and it might make you have colds.”

"Ah...I'm fine," she once again focused her eyes on the distance.

"Let's go inside."

"Later. It's not cold here. I-I'm fine with this cold weather,” she lied.

"Fine with this cold weather?" He smiled. “I don’t think so. You embrace yourself, and then you said you are fine with it? I know you are from another world or, rather, I say you are from the present time. You can't deny to me that you are fine with this climate because, in your country, you have two seasons.”

It is evident that she had embraced herself, and she could do nothing about it.

"Master Kairo told us about you, so we want to protect you too. It is not your fault that whatever happens to us, a warrior must protect someone important to Master Kairo.”

Important? This necklace is just crucial than everything, and I am nothing to him. She slowly removed both arms embraced herself.

“And it is not your fault that Hander was injured. Just ignore what Thiara is saying. She is kind. She was just too confident with her ability so, almost all men were aloof to talk to her,” the young man continued.

“I can see that. I know that thing so, I just avoided it. The world we grew up in is different. I don't know how I will be supposed to interact. I am not as strong as Thiara, and I still need your protection.”

“I am impressed with your courage. If you are another person, you might have cried and just cried out of fear. By the way, I haven't introduced myself to you formally yet. I am Kristoff Engelbert,” he said to her at the same time.