❝Unleash your inner badass❞
*Mature content and strong usage of language*
"Sitting around, waiting to get Kidnapped. This is the best day ever!" I exclaimed sarcastically.
"Better than being kidnapped tho," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
...
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I entered one of the large tents set up in the field. The fact that I hadn't seen Brave was bothering me. I felt lost without her, especially considering the things Vidhun had told me about her. Was she hiding something from me?
Inside the dimly lit kerosene tent, there were 5 double beds. Clothes were scattered all around the floor or thrown hazardly on the beds. "Hi," a young man approached me, looking like he was in his late 20s, a well-dressed man.
"You speak English?" I asked, hoping he would say yes, and to my surprise, he did. "I am the master's son."
"Vidhun?" I asked, and he nodded.
"We only joined these people a few years back, but now, this is our home," he gestured around the untidy place, and I expressed my concern. He laughed, "I know it's a lot to take in. But when my father was accused of betraying the Jaxons, he was sentenced to death. That's when we fled here. Mirkis are their strongest opponents, believe it or not."
Some of the weight in my chest was lifted; at least we were safe here. "But," his voice lowered, and he looked around the tent, even though I was sure nobody would understand anything we talked about. "Mirkis are one of the ancient tribes trained to fight for as long as they can remember." He took a seat on a bed, and I sat opposite him. The bed sank deeper than the Pacific Ocean.
"Jaxon has tried to conquer this land and transform it for his purposes. Dispose of these people. Mirkis have lost many lives because of them. If they find out that she was one of the Jaxons, I fear you guys wouldn't walk out of here alive."
"What the heck, what do you mean?"
Is this what she was hiding from me?
-----
"Listen, buddy, I don't think this is a good idea." Vim, the latest friend I made here, warned me before I jumped a wall straight into a rose bush.
"OWWW!" I cried.
"SHHHHH," Vim shushed from sitting atop the wall, which acted as a fence between our martial field and the village.
I chewed my fingers while I brushed off the thorns from my pants and shoes. Vim made a jump and safely landed from the rose bush. The martial training, after all, could come in handy.
"Dada will kill us if he comes to know about this," he whispered and shouted at me as we walked through the silent sleeping houses. I wanted to talk to her, shout at her, scream at her, not just for not telling me the full truth, but for the fact that she couldn't trust me enough to say it.
"He wouldn't know, shush now." I tried to recall which of these was her hut. They all looked almost the same. I saw a lit house on the far end, with soft giggling of girls heard.
Vim and I exchanged looks. A mischievous grin made its way to our faces.
As we got closer to the hut, I recognised her laughter.
Bitch, laughing and having fun while I am punctured all over my body. A pain jolts in my ear recalling the memories.
We came to a stop before a tinted window, and the sight within took both of us by surprise. Inside, the scene was strikingly vivid: a pool bathed in crystal clarity in a man-built stone cave, where girls, partially undraped, swam with carefree abandon. Burning fire holders lit the majestic atmosphere.
My eyes fell on her. Brave perched on the poolside, her legs dipped casually into the water, a picture of serene relaxation. The moonlight reflected off the water’s surface, casting delicate patterns across her skin, and the faint glimmer of light danced over her as if she were an apparition conjured from the dreams of the night itself.
Her soft smile showcased her perfectly aligned teeth. I was so focused on her that I couldn't take my eyes other to look at the other girls that were swimming around until I noticed him grinning from my side.
"What are you grinning about?" I scowled at him, trying to match his eyes to which girl he was looking at. There was a woman in a white swimsuit that contrasted her deep caramel skin, her long curly hair dancing in the water, and she was talking with Brave.
"She is fucking breathless, isn't she?" Vim breathed. I know that tone, that sounds like he is cooked for real.
"Says the one who didn't want to come here in the first place." I scoffed.
"That would have been the biggest regret of my life." He shook his head, grinning, not able to take his eyes off from her.
"Stop staring you pervert." I teased him all while peeling my eyes off from Brave.
Focus Caspian, you are mad at her. For fuck sake.
"What do we do? Wait for them to leave?" Vim asked, finally brought to his senses.
I bit my lips pondering, "Yeah."
After about half an hour, all the girls had left except Brave. Her new friend, who was also Vim’s new crush, was standing at the entrance, shouting something to Brave. Brave responded with a quick "1 minute."
She then dipped her head into the pool, her hair cascading around her like a halo of shimmering strands, floating ethereally in the water's embrace.
"Get that girl’s attention for a minute; give us ten!" I pushed Vim out from our hiding spot into the spotlight of the new girl, not giving him a chance to protest.
The girl looked at him confusedly.
He gave me a huge side eye, and I urged him to go to her.
He smiles sheepishly and talks something in their language. She gives him a sly smile and they slide away from the entrance to the back.
"Good," I muttered and sneaked inside.
My breath caught in my throat as my eyes found her.
Under the tranquil canopy of night, the moon cast a silvery sheen across the still waters of the pool, transforming it into a shimmering mirror of the heavens. Amidst the gentle ripples that undulated with the night breeze, a solitary figure floated serenely.
The woman, draped in the soft luminescence of moonlight, appeared almost ethereal as she glided effortlessly upon the water’s surface.
Her body was relaxed, limbs slightly spread, creating the illusion that she was a part of the celestial tableau above. The contrast between her peaceful presence and the dark, velvety backdrop of the night emphasized a profound sense of calm and isolation.
The surrounding silence was profound, broken only by the subtle sounds of the night, amplifying the stillness of the scene and reinforcing the timeless quality of the moment.
My body was starting to betray me, as I found myself walking towards her.
But no, I wanted answers today. Now. What is happening in our lives?
