"Salmaan, did you find anything?" the red-haired dude asked.
Oh, so that's Salmaan. Salmaan's face was red as he rubbed his neck.
"It was just some clothes," he coughed and looked at the red-haired dude.
Wait, what…
"Does that mean she's alright?" the red-head dude asked.
I went limp on the floor. Where did Leela go? I couldn't hear anything around me anymore. Leela...Leela...Leela...where? I felt the bindings around me go limp and the man's hand move from my face. Someone is shaking me but I can't see because my eyes are blurring with tears. Who else do I have to lose to that damn Prince?
I blinked as sounds crashed around me. Who was calling me? I couldn't focus. A jabbing pain spread where someone poked me and I shot up. The two men were looking down at me. What am I supposed to say? Thank you for messing my room, and hurting those who I cherished most in my life? I looked at the guy named Salmaan and the red-haired dude and I forced my legs to walk to the door.
"Get the fuck out," I took the shoes that they took off at my front door and threw them outside.
The two men quietly left. I don't know what I would have done if they had stayed and said another word. The red-haired dude turned.
"We'll be taking our-"
I slammed the door in his face and rushed to Grandpa Ulaan. I held his shaking hands and watched as he processed everything. My bed was hard, so it probably didn't cushion him properly when he fell. His eyes wavered and shone with tears when he looked at me. His green eyes studied my face and he didn't say anything. I was thinking about Leela, and I knew she was going to come back. She had to. A water drop fell onto my hand and I looked up at him.
I saw his chin tremble and tears fall from his eyes and down into his white beard. He took his cap off and covered his face as he gripped my hand. I couldn't help myself either. I shook and trembled, trying so hard to stop the tears.
"A-are you o-okay?" my chin trembles as I hold his hand.
My tears threaten to fall down and I breathe in and out. Grandpa Ulaan puts a shaking hand on my hand.
"Child, you can cry," he pats my head as I shake.
"Grandpa Ulaaaaaaaaaan," I wail and he tells me to cry my heart out.
And I do. I cry and feel my chest ache. I almost died twice today. I lost my precious friend and I hurt a person that I deeply care about. That frickin' Prince takes away everything and I can't do anything but sit around like this. I felt two arms encircling me, and helped me onto the seat beside him. Grandpa Ulaan is a small man, but he is strong. He holds me up and wipes my tears on my face. I let him wipe my face and Grandma Sufia walks in through the door holding a steaming banana cake in her hand. She sits down beside me and holds my hand as well.
"Child, why must you suffer through these pains," she holds me and I smile.
Smiling hurt more than when I was crying. I was making two people worry about me when they still had an ongoing business upstairs. I held their hands and kneeled down in front of them.
"Thank you, for being here for me. Nobody has worried like this for me after a long time, and it truly makes me feel happy," I smile up at them, "let's go, we should get back to work. Grandpa Ulaan needs to rest properly too, after that fall."
"Absolutely not. You are taking a break. The business was slow today, and there's not much work left anyway," Grandma Sufia scolds, "Grandpa Ulaan will go and rest but I will help you clean up your room."
"No, it's alri-"
"I'm not hearing it. First thing tomorrow, we will go to the police and report this disgusting behavior that the Imperial Mages have shown. If I have to make a formal complaint to the Prince, then so be it," Grandma Sufia clenched her fist tightly as a fire blazed in her hazel eyes.
Her small stature made you think that she was a fragile lady, but she had a very determined and strong personality that proved otherwise. I wanted to go to the police station with her as well. This type of behavior was not acceptable at all. Who knows how many homes they have destroyed after falsely accusing innocent people?!
Since there was no use arguing with her, we helped Grandpa Ulaan up and into the shop. He couldn't walk, so I gave him a piggyback ride up the stairs and sat him down at a cushioned seat. Grandma Sufia called a doctor and he came in and checked Grandpa Ulaan for any bruises or sprains. After moving him to a more comfortable room, we made sure he wasn't in pain anymore and went back to my room.
I didn't realize how messed up my room was, after I came back in again.
Everything was basically overturned. All the plants were strewn on the floor, soil covered the bedsheets, the bed was misplaced, the kitchen was in a mess, spices were everywhere, the fridge was left open, the floor had ripped papers and clothes, and there was broken glass here and there. My closet was in a mess as well. All the clothes were lying in front of the door like a puddle. All the clothes that I spent a long time washing, were now dirty and all over the place. The bathroom was in shambles.
The Salman guy must have thought I was hiding something suspicious and absolutely combed through everything. My underclothes lay lying on the floor, and my unwashed clothes were all taken out of the basket. My window was left open. Wait…
Then that means Leela probably went to hide at the back of the house. I sprinted out of the bathroom and Grandma Sufia's shocked face looking at the room made me stop.
"Is this what those mages did to your room?" her hand covered her mouth as she looked at everything. She probably was noticing how bad the mages messed up my room for the first time too. She then looked at my face.
"Did they leave bruises on your face as well?!" She held my face gently in her hands.
"It's okay, I'm alright," I held her hands and her lip trembled.
My heart ached and I held her in a hug as she softly patted my back. Damn, I needed this.
We pulled away and she looked determined again.
"Let's get this room tidied up!" she picked up a broom and started to broom the soil from the ground.
"Wait, I need to see something real quick Grandma Sufia," I went to turn the doorknob.
She held my hands in hers.
"Not now, they are still patrolling the streets. I don't want them to find you," her grip on my hand tightened.
I couldn't even shake her hand off if I wanted to. I glanced towards the window in the bathroom, I can send a small butterfly to look for Leela. This way I can rely better on the magic than my own intuitions.
Grandma Sufia went back to brooming so I went up close to the window to send a small butterfly to find Leela. I clenched my fist tightly and let the mana flow and pool into my hand.
It's really hard to trace locator butterflies, and it's common to use one when looking for something that is within a certain area. I opened my palm and a small golden butterfly fluttered on my palm. No spell was needed since this is purely based on intention. The glittering wings fluttered and the semi-invisible butterfly flew out the window.
I sighed as I glanced at the bathtub. That Salmon dude actually did go through my clothes to look for something. All my underclothes were scattered on the floor of the bathroom. Such a shameless man. I shook my head and began to clean up. I distracted myself with simple household chores, to prevent myself from running out the door. Leela was going to come back. I would make sure of it.
...
It was evening by the time I finished up the remainder of the cleaning. I told Grandma Sufia to go rest up after she helped me fix the plants and the bed. I felt guilty taking up too much of her time and walked her upstairs. She still insisted to help, but she looked tired and I really wanted her to be with Grandpa Ulaan. She said she would come to check up on me in the afternoon tomorrow and I hugged her goodbye.
I waited for the butterfly to come back and my nerves were getting jittery with the anticipation. I finished washing the huge pile of clothes and hung up a rope in my room to dry them. I would usually leave them to dry outside in the sun during the day time, but since it was already dark, I didn't want anyone stealing them.
I massaged the knots of pain in my muscles. I had a very tiring day and I wanted to fall asleep so bad. I warmed up some of the cake and waited for Leela to eat it together. As I finished warming it up the butterfly came in through the window. If the butterfly has found the thing/person you are looking for, it will come back as a twin of the previous butterfly and guide you there. If the butterfly comes back red, that means it couldn't find whatever you were looking for. But, if the butterfly comes back gray, that means…
"SHIT!" I grabbed my cloak and ran out.
I quickly locked my door and sprinted. The gray butterfly disintegrated. It can't be. Where are you, Leela? I raced past streets and buildings. I climbed over fences and looked in alleyways.
"No no no no no no, please no," I couldn't see where I was running.
My eyes blurred and I heard myself crack inside. Please, you can't be dead Leela, please.
If the butterfly came back gray, it means that either the thing you were looking for is not within the area, or it was probably destroyed. I bit my hand to stop from screaming out.
Please...come back...