The Creature and the Spy

6: The Hero

"It's alright now. I already sent him away." I said as I enter the cottage that houses a man and his son. The man was holding his son's shoulder, like he's in protective mode. I decided that I should diminish their fear. "No need to worry. He came here in hopes of dominating an area, he thought he could do that because..."

"We lost our females, more than half of our population, and we're vulnerable?" The father sadly said, looking further down the floor.

I paused for a second. I genuinely felt bad for these people. They lost their family and half of their economic provider. Araki said most of their Engineers and researchers are females, and with them gone, their country will take time, decades, to recover. Maybe that's why each country around the underworld sent a diplomat to study how to revive the land. "Look." I called their attention. "I'm sure King Dimito won't let another alien take advantage of you. I'm here to help him and his remaining researchers restructure your society. I'll do my job seriously so that you could get back on your feet within the decade."

"Decade?" The son asked. Oh shit, they have different time measurements, and I just uttered a human time measurement. I have to be more careful in uttering human words. "Thaonne. That's the human equivalent for three thaonnes. I was sent to human world before coming here to study human social science for reference."

"You mean like a spy?" The boy said innocently. I narrowed my eyes at him, but I answered normally nonetheless.

"Yes. Like a spy."

"But you're not gonna be mean, aren't you?" The son said, clutching his father's hand that was lying on his shoulder.

I smiled at him. "No I won't, young one. Remember, a diplomat's job is to help. I'm here to assist you. As my host family, I will stay here to help you and your country. Trust me."

The son let go of his father's clutch and came running towards me. At first, I was flabbergasted, but I read he has no ill intention. He came to hug my torso, which is just about his height. "My name is Andrin, you?"

"I'm Hansi Mayari." I answered.

The father came forward. His left hand extended, and so I did, thinking it was for a handshake. But as soon as I lift my arms, he took my elbow joint, set his own elbow on my hand and gave it a firm nudge. I did the same, making it as natural as possible. "And I'm Kalin Asmira. Nice to meet you finally, Mr. Diplomat. It's lunch, we should eat."

Kalin, Adrin and the book boy migrated towards the kitchen. There, we sat around a circular table with sauteed vegetables and a bowl of brown rice. It looks normal, matched with a pitcher of lime juice.

I can live with this.

"I apologize. It's not much." Kalin said.

"Oh no worries. I'm very fond of vegetables. And lime juice is my favorite if you just know."

Kalin nodded in relief. Kalin looks like your typical Ilalim citizen, with great height, muscles, and perfect stubble. He's gigantic, but he looks gentle. Andrin is a little sweetheart. His height is just around my torso. He looks like six years old (just with some height), and his eyes are big black orbs with obvious glint of sad innocence. Generally, they're grey.

They look weak and vulnerable, maybe that's why that diplomat took advantage and acted bossy much. Good thing I killed him.

And lastly, this teenager beside me - the book boy. He looks timid, yet his voice is strong and he smiles a lot. "By the way, you, what's your name?" I asked the book boy.

"I'm Jadaki. Jadaki Magsim." he pronounced confidently.

I dropped utensils, not leaving my sight from my wooden plate filled with rice. "Magsim?"

"Familiar, right?" Kalin interjected. "You must have heard about Araki Magsim. He's this country's hero. He and his human lover brought back the Artificial sun to us. He's a good doctor by himself, but who'd thought he'd be bold enough to go up there, enchant a human, and retrieve our sun?"

My chest hurts. Be bold enough to go up there, enchant a human, and retrieve their sun? I already know the truth, but why does it hurt so much when it is slapped against my mind? I already know I was used, I hated him, I loathed him for that... And I'm not over all of it.

Not an ounce.

I'm still not over it.

I cleared my throat, stopping the impending bile of salty snot and tears.

"Come on." Jadaki called. "I'm pretty sure he really loved that human. I mean they broke up and he's so sad that he had to move to switzerland."

"Really? But King Dimito said he clearly enchanted that human to help him. I forgot what the enchantment was, maybe a spell of love." Kalin continued.

I took a deeper breath, then retrieved my fallen utensils from my plate. I ignored my emotions and just twirled my spoon around the vegetables. "You know that's really evil. Enchanting people with a love potion and play with their feelings just to finish their mission. That's just... evil, and hurtful, and heartless." We continued eating as Jadaki and Kalin share awkward glances to each other. Kalin tried to apologize for the insensitivity, and I feel like they have theories on why I reacted as such. I stood up from my seat after eating, letting Kalin wash the dished.

Enchanted a human? My thoughts went around and around that phrase. I know it already. But it hurts more when people think it's a heroic act, an infamous trick, a minor step for a bigger mission. They, especially Araki, haven't thought that behind those words is a human being who acted like a devoted puppy, and then realized his disdainful acts when everything ended. A human who was deeply hurt. A human who feels so betrayed until now.

When I'm already behind the house, my tears fell helplessly. I muted my sniffs, but my tears fell like waterfalls. The back of their house faces the mountain where the artificial sun lies. I looked at it and felt the warmth of it. Thinking about it, Araki is indeed a hero. He went to great lengths just to retrieve this warm and life-giving sun. His country is reviving, and people like Kalin and Andrin are beginning to forget the drastic and emotionally traumatic horrors of the loss of their sun. 

Araki was a hero. I was just the human he used.

When I heard a set of footsteps I immediately wiped my cheeks clean.

"What happened there, sir?" Jadaki questioned with a concerned voice. "We're sorry if our conversation triggered something. I hope you don't treat the family any differently."

"No no. I'm okay. And Kalin and Andrin are very lovely and accommodating, I wouldn't change my opinion of them. It's just painful memories." I sniffed my snot to sound decent. "How are you related to that Araki Magsim anyway?"

"He's my older brother. The only family I've left."

I stayed silent. They're brothers. It's like the fates are testing me. Of all the convenient characters I have to meet, it has to be his little brother.

"Have you... Ever been enchanted sir? That's what Kalin and I thought. I heard it's common between two males in our neighboring countries." He carefully asked.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry about that. Whoever did that was a jerk."

"Yeah he was." I replied angrily.

"I assume you had an antidote."

I nodded again.

The boy felt awkward, I could say. He grabbed his arm, scratched his forehead, and shifted his weights left to right. He finally cleared his throat and said: "I'm glad that's all over. I hope that man has learned his lesson, sir. He probably did that because he wants your attention. Maybe he's regretting now. Come inside sir. It's getting dark and it's super cold when it's dark." Jadaki stepped away, his entire being still spells awkwardness.

I remained for a while. The artificial sun is being laid down by machines surrounding it. It's probably the equivalent of a sunset. But it's not beautiful, it looks sad to me.

He probably did that because he wants attention from me? Well, if that's the real reason that would be better.