The evening sunlight slowly gave way to the crescent moonlight of dusk as it drew over the sky.
Soon it was nighttime. Everybody began into one task or the other. Everyone except the young hero who stayed back and attended to Sonia, keeping her company and ensuring she had proper clothing and conversing with her when he could, though there was not much discussion because she was too depressed to chat.
Her beautiful face had become swollen from tears and her eyes, white like a film of porcelain, glinted with a myriad of depressing emotions.
Her wet cheeks quivered as she talked in a low murmur to herself. She sat opposite the young hero before a campfire that he had made earlier — covering herself to keep warm with a piece of fabric that was given to her.
she stared into the fireplace as vague emotions subtly quelled her. Her eyes reflected the glint of the slow-burning, flickering yellow flame as she cried.
If love was all she wanted, she could've sworn early on that she had already found it. Igbins's betrayal was more painful than she could've imagined. He was her best friend, a brother nearly. Yet, he betrayed her without the slightest hesitancy.
In the cold fires of the night, two dark shadows were sitting in grim silence.
"Hi..." A quiet introverted voice called from behind, capturing the attention of a shadow. It was the young hero who turned to look at the figure of a person who hailed from behind him.
"Prince!..." He jerked, in an agile response– slightly startled. "You're done with your practice?." He asked.
"Yes... I'm done." The prince replied warmly. "Erhm... Ogun. If you don't mind, can— I— have a private moment with you?" He pled; bracing himself to leave once he got a reply.
Then, he caught a glimpse of her. A glimpse of her soggy face, half-lit by the low burning yellow flame.
"Ok, prince. I'm almost done here I'm behind you." The young hero, Ogun answered back.
But the prince lingered, he hesitated to leave. He stared at the figure of the brokenhearted Sonia, all beaten and shaken up in her emotions. Miserable, shy, and dejected. He saw her revealing innocence and saw her gorgeous outlines. He realized at that moment that her most melancholic state was still an epitaph of unmatchable beauty.
Then she felt him. She sensed his stare, intruding. She lifted her head and spared him a glance and a strange feeling dragged him and tugged at his heart, tearing an odd excitement like a sudden jolt–igniting in him.
And their eyes locked. Even though only for a brief moment but it lasted forever. He could've sworn he felt a seizing stroke. Startling, crushing, and pounding as his heart caught aflame. It was a terrific commotion of bizarre feelings.
His gut rolled with a nauseating notion and a sudden lack of confidence overcame him. He tore his eyes from the spell quickly and left –fleeing before anyone else noticed his awkward behavior.
"Wait!..." A sweetness called, but he ignored it.
Sonia tried to collect his attention but he never stopped once he started running. Not even for once turning to check if Ogun was coming behind him.
He was too scared of how to behave.
"What was that feeling!" He pondered as he scurried away. Hurrying without the faintest notice that his skin had broken loose with sweat and goosebumps. His heart throbbed— Crazily! This was the most unusual experience he had gotten yet.
He got to a secluded area and stopped by a canopying tree where he squatted and attempted to practice briefly. To calm himself.
He had recently finished with his practice. It lasted longer than he had expected.
The practice was done to help strengthen the bond between him and his ancestral spirit. It also had a benign effect, like meditation. So he was calm, so calm even his speech was timed and meticulous. Yet it only took one look at the eyes of that slim-waist to throw him off balance. This was certainly unprecedented.
He started by trying several brief exercises to calm himself. Yet he always saw the image of that innocence when he closed his eyes. All the time. It never failed.
He recalled her selfless benevolence when she offered everything to save her friends. He thought of her frantic efforts to resist her attackers when she fought to avert her rape. And her modest plea, desperate for his help when she failed. And he remembered, he remembered how hopeless she felt when he refused.
He felt a fit of anger build up in his core, then an abrupt rage. Punch! He hit the tree.
When he thought of her, his heart raced and thumped. Things were getting out of hand, anytime now Ogun would arrive and he would probably stutter throughout their discussion. Who knows, he may not even compose a complete sentence.
He steeled himself and started to intensify the technique he was utilizing to try and reconcile his emotions but even that didn't work. It occurred to him that nothing was going to help relieve him this time.
"Bastard!" He cursed, agitated. Just then a figure loomed close.
"What did I cause?" A dogged voice implored, ushering the figure of Ogun.
"Uh? Ahem... Not you, I wasn't talking about you." The prince snickered and offered for Ogun to come nearer.
He forced a weak smile and rubbed his hands on his forehead before he spoke. " So...what you did today, I wanted to tell you..."
"Don't bother prince. I only did what I did because I couldn't let them abuse her." Ogun cut short the prince. "No need to thank me for it." He finished.
"Whatever!" the prince snapped "I only wanted to exhort you." He lied. Ogun had a brush-off attitude that always managed to irk everyone.
Chink..
"You misunderstand me, my prince," Ogun declared "I'm not trying to deride your efforts" he explained. "I also know that you were going to sabotage those guys if I didn't do it first. I did it because I didn't want you to jeopardize the team."
He smiled at the prince's behavior. "I have a younger brother just like you, you know." he said "Prince Idubor...haha." he giggled, whimsically.
"Ahem. You lie!" The prince accused and composed himself. "How did you know?" He asked, unwilling to let down his guard.
The young hero paused briefly, "I'm not lying, I don't have a reason to lie." He remarked.
"I saw when you were, you were going to wreck their effort, so I just moved in and did it first," Ogun added.
"Hehe" Idubor chuckled realizing his error. "It's true!" He disclosed. "You're attentive. I shouldn't have gotten angry just now, I thought you wanted to..."
"I understand." Ogun cut in again, unwilling to let the prince finish.
"Ok." The prince smiled "Thanks for understanding and thanks for what you did today."
"I already told you there was no need to thank me" Ogun chided, with a subtle frown.
"Haha..." The prince laughed wittily. "Ok. If you insist, I won't thank you anymore but if I will not thank you, then you must become my new best friend. Agreed!?"
"Humph! All alright, if you insist." Ogun scoffed.
"Haha, nice...You said you have a brother my age right? Tell me about him." The prince laughed.
"My brother, his name is jender..."
The prince and Ogun seemed to have an unexpected understanding. They eased into peculiar topics and shared similar ideals as they gisted into the night.