Flora

꧁Chapter 6꧂

Playing: Viola d'amore Concerto in A Minor RV 397: |. Vivace

🔞(18+ contents ahead proceed with caution) 🔞

Judy had fallen asleep on Terry's arms as he carried her bridal style through the darkness of the lanes. It was already past midnight and unfortunately for him, she puked on his chest yet it was somehow a relief that he wore an apron since he just came from the bakery as he baked some bread for tomorrow before heading home. She was indeed laborious to take care of as her constant whines and pleads for Terry to put her down were exasperating him throughout their stroll to her home. He heaved a sigh of relief when they had reached her house. He placed her down her bed and wrapped the comforter around her body as she settled down.

He was about to head home when Judy started mumbling incoherent words. Curious, he walked closer to her as he attempted to decode the phrases she spoke earlier. As she moved to a more comfortable position, she yet again mumbled a phrase that ultimately made Terry felt remorseful for leaving her side when she's at her lowest. Please, don't leave me. It shattered his heart into millions of pieces hearing the girl beg for company.

Her grandmother was the nicest and Terry had met her a few times already. He occasionally sends her bread from time to time. She would talk about Judy's childhood and how she bounced back from the timid little girl who lost everything to who she is now, a girl with a bright smile and an amicable nature. She is strong and Terry yet again admired her for that, yet people like her also falls apart when battered by painful things.

Now that she lost someone she loved so dearly, he had to be there for her. She can't fight this alone, she can't build herself back without anyone's help and he has to be that someone who will give her what she needs. Perhaps a shoulder she can cry on, an ear to listen to her or a man who can love her. He'd settle for any of those as long as he gets to help Judy back up.

It pains him to witness her miserable state and he just wants to give her the most comforting words and gestures he can give as of now so he laid on her bed and scooted closer to her as he lifted her head slightly for it to rest on his arms as he also wrapped the blanket around him. He faced the girl as he scrutinized her delicate features. The tears that trickled down to her cheeks for who knows how long had already dried up yet a tint of red around the corner of her eyes were still crystal clear as the moonlight that penetrated the glass of the windows in her room hit her face. She looked vulnerable and delicate and staring at this sight brought solace in Terry's system.

He had already made up his mind, he will protect Judy at any cost.

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She shushed him upon hearing the faint sounds of footsteps below the treehouse. She was certain that those weren't deer nor any ungulates and the thought of bandits spotting her hideout made her blood run cold. There was only one thing she had to do to get rid of these bandits and that is to fight. Tough luck struck them when she found out that her treehouse was now burning as a flaming arrow was aimed towards it. She gritted her teeth in annoyance when the flame started spreading throughout the premises of the treehouse. She had built this for years and witnessing it burn into nothingness had driven her to insanity. With unsteady breath and trembling hands she balled into a fist, she grabbed a dagger and stood up from her horizontal position, completely exposing herself and alerting the bandits of her presence.

"There you are, Artemis. Or should I be calling you by your real name from this very moment onward, Princess Joanne Eira Shin?" One of their leader called out with a sarcastic chuckle as he narrowed his eyes at the gal.

Ben's eyes widened as he gasped in shock but was silenced when Joanne shoot daggers with her glare towards him. Enraged by his derogatory words, Joanne mindlessly threw the dagger she held on her hand straight at the leader's throat with utmost precision and speed and before he knew it, he was vomiting, coughing blood and suffocating to his death. His men shouted their battle cries as they charge towards the structure. Joanne was quick to react as she lit up a dynamite and threw it at their direction with a huge explosion obliterating them.