Inexperienced Heart

Chapter 28: The Tragedy

Landa found herself back in the hall. The fighting had not ceased. A lot of people were down, unconscious, but none dead. Others were slowly reviving and getting back up to continue the clash of weak weapons, chairs, belts, canes, and a lot of other furniture. Some used their arms and legs, to punch and kick. But there were no knives or guns or swords or arrows or axes.

Landa was surprised that the unconscious had revived so fast. It wasn't a very violent or bloody war, but she thought her friends had knocked them out well, with Galadriel using his cane and Logan using his belt, that the knocked-out should still be passed out.

She fought a little. She fought quite well for a girl. A punch in the chest here. A kick in the stomach there. And the people went down.

She looked around for her friends, but her eyes could not locate them though they wandered. There were walls of people around her blocking her view. She gave up in her search and fought some more.

She saw a handsome man with black hair that came to his shoulders. Something was familiar about him, but she couldn't figure out what.

The man came to her and smirked at her.

"So, we meet again. Remember me?" he said. Landa stared at him, trying to recall where she had seen him before.

"Roco ruined my plans, but he'll regret it," continued the man.

That's it! Landa suddenly remembered. This man was Xenos Phyllis! She hated this man! She glared at him in hatred as a vivid image popped into her mind when he almost killed her with his poisonous hands and Roco had come to the rescue. With the image in her head, she fought him, wanting to kill him, but knowing she could only knock him out with the weapons available.

She kicked him in the chest, but he would not go down. She punched him. He remained standing. "This man is made of steel," she thought in misery, giving up hope and confidence that she could bring Xenos down. As she punched him hard, square in the neck, he caught hold of her arm and stared at her coldly.

"Here is where you die, Landa Polymer," Xenos said blood-thirstedly. "I've waited for this moment all of my life. And now my dream has come true. The brave, bold, and beautiful Landa Polymer is about to meet her end!"

Landa panicked and screamed. Xenos put his hands on her neck in a gesture of choking her. She could not breathe. She was losing consciousness.

Suddenly, someone attacked Xenos from behind. Landa saw the sword protruded through his chest before she was released and she fell down.

Logan bent down, looking into Landa's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes. Thanks for saving my life," Landa said, still shaken by her near death.

"I had to repay you because you saved my life by making me drink that liquid," explained Logan.

"Where did you get that sword?" Landa asked.

"Galadriel magically made them come into existence by speaking 'Swordo'. Mira, Peter, Goldtin, he, and I all have swords. You weren't in sight, so he didn't make you one. But now it's a real war," Logan answered. Then, he extended his hand and helped Landa to her feet. He still held her hand even when she was up.

Landa looked into his eyes and whispered, "Thanks." She kissed his cheek and wriggled her hand out of his. She turned and left, leaving Logan looking dumbfounded.

Landa joined the now true war. It was bloody. As soon as Galadriel had made swords appear and Logan killed Xenos, the enemy backed into a room, only to return heavy-armoured and with swords to get their revenge on their dead companion.

While Landa had her sword plunged into a man's stomach, she heard a curious noise. It sounded like a strained scream. She pulled out her sword dramatically and slowly out of the man. (She stole the sword from the man she knocked out first, a man that was fully armoured.) She held the sword with trembling fingers and let it fall to the floor with a resounding boom, unaware of the fighting, sword against sword, and the yells of pain around her.

The noise had petrified her. She walked towards the noise and located it in the room where she had seen the video. She gasped at what she saw.

Her parents were there! She had clearly written in her letter for them to not come. But here they were, on their knees begging Palson to have mercy! They were asking for forgiveness, but Palson refused.

"Please, we cannot let Landa marry Roco. Forgive us," Landa's parents were pleading.

"I shall only let you go if you give permission for your daughter to marry my son. What is your last word?" Palson spoke coldly.

"No!" they said angrily and simultaneously.

"You have chosen death!" cried Palson. He stood up with his arms spread out above his head and yelled, "Berada!"

Landa, frightened, rushed in crying, "No! Stop!" But it was too late. The curse had found its target. Landa's parents were thrown roughly into the air, twirled all around the room, hitting walls and ceiling, and finally hit the ground hard with a thud. Palson laughed coldly and left the room, his red overcoat dragging behind him.

With tears in her eyes, Landa made her way towards her parents and collapsed on them in deep sadness. Their heads were bruised and purple, cuts were bleeding, and their open torn hearts were bleeding out.

"Oh, mother! Oh, father!" she cried over and over.

"Landa," they feebly answered her.

"Why didn't you stay at home?" she cried, miserable and upset.

"Landa, we must go," her mother said.

"Don't say that! You will live, mother! I know you will!" Landa cried.

"I love you," her mother said and kissed her daughter lightly on her forehead.

"I love you," her father said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Landa remained by their side. She heard them take one more breath and the life went out of them altogether. They were pale and lifeless and bleeding.

Landa sobbed, grieved by her parents' cruel death and the tragedy she would have to live with forever.

"I love you too," she whispered and kissed her mother and her father.

"I love you too," she cried loudly.

"I love you too," she said again, with pain and grief like that which she had never felt before.