Right after the terrorist attack, Jane immediately ordered to check for those remaining rebels/terrorists that have fled inside the nearby the village which was where Lance lived.
The 10 men who fired at Claire and Canary, plus the one who dropped Linka to the cliff and caused much damage to the village, were already subdued by soldiers who guarded the palace. They were beaten but not killed, and were sent to the prison. Even the leader and his men on the other side of the cliff were taken. They were all alive.
The damage was only done in the village since they were not able to pass through it anymore. The centralized food barn was salvaged, but not totally taken because Lance stopped them. He also provided help during the attack wherever he could reach. Some women were hurt but were not raped. But some elders almost passed out due to panic attack. Only some trees were uprooted, the fields with still wheat, some root crops and fruits slit open due to the earthquake. But nonetheless, nobody died.
The next day, the village people still looked a little down at the surprised attack. Some young people were doubting the soldiers and the whole security of their region, but most of the elders defended it.
"In my 70 years of existence, this is the first time we were attacked. The fear of the four generals were dreaded on the nearby countries. So don't badmouth them," said one old man.
"But I heard one soldier said that this probably happened one general came back. But I don't know who that is," said one man around 20 years old.
Lance was near them so he can hear them. He knew who that man was referring to. He closed his fists and remembered what Amie told him yesterday: Claire was badly hurt. The people who did that to her were those 10 men he helped to catch. He was thinking what he could have done to them if he knew right away that they hurt her. He just shook that thought away because they were also taken to the prison when he was told that.
He went inside their house and came out with his guitar. He went to the middle and started to play and sing:
♪
When I can't find the words to say how much it hurts
You are the healing in my heart
When all that I can see are broken memories
You are the light that's in the dark
You are the song
You are the song I'm singing
You are the air
You are the air I'm breathing
You are the hope
You are the hope I needed
Oh oh
You are
And when my circumstance leaves me with empty hands
You are the provider of my needs
When all my dirtiness has left me helpless
You are the rain that washes me
You are the song
You are the song I'm singing
You are the air
You are the air I'm breathing
You are the hope
You are the hope I needed
Oh oh
You are the song
You are the song I'm singing
You are the air
You are the air I'm breathing
You are the hope
You are the hope I needed
Oh oh
♪
The village people looked at him and listened to the melody of the guitar. As he was singing, their worry slowly disperse.
"That's right. God has not abandoned us," said one.
There were now smiles in their faces and their heart felt warm again. They now focused on rebuilding the damages done.
The next day, Lance came to the palace and proceeded to the same receiving room at the west side. He opened the sliding door and saw Jane and Canary, and separated by low table, opposite them were Clarence, Musica and Sora. He walked inside and sat beside the three men.
"Since you're all here," Jane said, her face serious. "I guess it's time to tell you what you want to know."
"Excuse me, Gov," Lance interrupted. "How's Claire now?"
She shook her head, "She's still not yet awaken. Probably two more days."
"How's her wounds? Were you able to remove the bullet...?"
She lifted a corner of her lips. "Don't worry. It's gone."
"Will you be telling us now about Claire?" Clarence asked.
"Yes," Jane answered.
"Is that okay?" Musica asked.
"Claire doesn't keep her identity a secret anyway. But she's just bad at telling anyone about herself so I will do the talking. But I'll warn you ahead, this will take long so please ready yourselves." Then she looked at their eyes seriously, and they swallowed in their throat.
"The first time I met Claire was when I was eight years old. 35 years ago."
Clarence, Musica and Sora looked just calm, as if they were already expecting something extraordinary, but Lance was the most shocked. He wanted to say his thoughts but words couldn't get out in that atmosphere.
"Brother," she called to Clarence. "How old are you? I mean, how long have you been living?"
"But I'm not really sure with the exact number, but I think around 400 plus years already."
"How can you say that?"
He put a hand on his left chest. "I have this mark on my chest that seems to grow every 100 years. To be honest, I can only remember the last 197 years of my life. I know since I've been counting the full moon since I have awoken - my very first memory. I felt a burning sensation on my chest and appeared four rounded lines that seem to form a circle. That's my 1200th full moon, which means 100 years. So, one line must mean a complete 100 years. Since then, I have counted up to 1,168 full moons or months until now."
She nodded. "Hmm, I see. Claire also had that mark at the back of her right shoulder, but she didn't say it was painful at all. Hmmm. Based on what you said, she probably was also living a little shorter than that, given you're older than her. I met her that day and how she looks now is how she looked exactly 35 years ago.
Together with my foster father, I was on the watchers' side. She was fighting inside the ring - expressionless, emotionless. Her hair was long, her blue eyes were dull that looked like a dead fish's eyes. Her skin was so pale. She's just like a mechanical fighting doll. She had won many one-on-one battles leaving most of her opponent half-dead. For the sake of the village where she lived, she had to fight for food supplies to sustain everyone. I almost watched her every week. Her pale skin being covered with red, the blood of those men and women she needed to take down for their survival. Then one day, I sneaked away from my father to follow her. She didn't look lifeless when she was with her people. It was my first time seeing her that way. She was smiling and her eyes were alive. I wondered how painful it was to smile carefree and yet so cold when she had to hurt another people for the sake of others.
That survival system of that small country was ruled by my father and it run for a year when..." She paused to ask the three men in front her. "Have you heard about the disappearance of Lindon country from the maps?"
Lance was the first to answer, "I've read about it in an urban legend though. More than 30 years ago, there was a country that ran business of slaves, but the government was overthrown and destroyed in a single night by just one..." His eyes widened and he did not finish his words anymore.
"That's not an urban legend. That's true," Jane said. "Claire singlehandedly put the end to that. She sneaked to the mansion where we lived. She came first to my father's room and she saw me being abused and violated by him. Without any emotion, she struck him with her sword. She then looked coldly at me with those dead blue eyes glowing in that full moon night. I cowered in fear and couldn't move an inch. Then the men came inside that room and pointed guns at her. She took the gun from the table and they started firing at her. She sustained damaged on her body but miraculously she was still alive. She also fired back at them and rushed to finish them with her sword. And everything went blank to me because of fear.
When I woke up, I found myself outside the gate and the mansion was already burning. The smoke was rising up to the night sky, as if swallowing the cruelty in a snap.
When it was already dawn break, I ran to the village and found the people gathering around and crying. I went closer and saw her dead - with a gunshot on her chest. They carried her cold, dead body, put her in an open casket and surrounded her with small white flowers. They mourned for her until afternoon and they buried her.
I was only looking from afar for the fear they would hurt me knowing I was that man's adopted daughter. When they left, I stayed on her grave and also gave her a flower.
Since then, I left that small country and heard later that since the news of that government was taken down, the nearby country took possession of it and the people were freed from their slavery.
15 years after that, inspired by her action all the days of my life since I was saved, freed and felt alive again, I started travelling looking for people who needs help with the profession I took – Medical Doctor. Then one day, I saw her again. Alive. Physically nothing changed in her but she was more lively and comforting. She was also a passing medical practitioner just like me. I went to talk to her and told her what happened 15 years ago. But she couldn't remember anything and she left me. I thought maybe she was just a reincarnation, if that's true then I'm ready to accept it. The next day, I asked her if I could join her medical mission and she allowed me. We were also teaching the kids how to read and write. When I was already feeling that I was getting a little closer to her, I asked her again about that incident. But then she looked coldly at me, the way she looked at me when she cut that man. She told me, "I couldn't recall what you are saying but it irritates me. If you want to stay here, better just do what you came here for."
I was certain she was really that girl from 15 years ago. Was she immortal? Did she really die? Or did she recover in less than 24 hours? But you cannot breathe underground. Plus, she couldn't remember anything at all. Probably just her name and the skills she had because her body could remember them.
The medical mission lasted for a week. Before we part ways, I asked her if I get her contact number but she no so I just gave her my calling card for her to contact me in case she needed anything.
I haven't seen her for 5 years after that until I gave birth to my first child. My husband was also a doctor but he had an emergency operation on the day I was going to be discharged. So in the garden of the hospital, I took my child out to wait for my husband. Being a first time mom, the reality is so different from the books and videos I have watched. My baby was crying continuously. I tried to breastfeed him but it did not calm him down. Then I heard someone told me to properly hold him because he couldn't breathe. Then she taught me how and my baby finally stopped crying and I was able to feed him already. It was Claire. She smiled so warmly at me. And she still remembered me from the medical mission. She talked first that day and surprisingly she was open. When I had the chance, I asked her again. She told me she really couldn't remember but her body told her it must be possible. Since then, we became friends.
Having no permanent place, she stayed in us in this place. It used to be a small province of only 100 people until we multiplied. I became the leader, later called a governor to officiate within the whole country. Together with Claire, we decided to teach people basic living like planting crops, sewing, fishing, education, basic self-defense, almost everything under the sun. Until we established this current army training and ranks. She became a general in protecting the region from bandits just like what happened lately. But I also discovered that she not only immortal, but I thought she could also control the land. 10 years ago, a large number of rebels from other country managed to sneak in. Being outnumbered and many young people were in the verge of death, in response to her will and anger, the ground shook, split open and the rebels where pulled down. And now, that was the cliff, the border we were at two days ago.
She passed out after that. When she woke up and heard what happened, she said she didn't know she could do that.
I told her to try controlling the land. But when she tried to touch the ground and commanded it to form a wall around her, well, nothing happened. It must had just been a coincidence but too perfectly timed to be just like that! And it happened again now.
However, since then something changed in her. She said that she could feel she had another blood relative living, but didn't know where he is. The earth would not reveal his exact location but her blood will surely feel him. Then she left and started looking for you."
Jane, with a little sadness and pain in her face, looked at Clarence. "She already knew about you 10 years ago."
Clarence looked down. "I only knew I had a sister three years ago. But..." He then looked at her. "Why are we different? I can turn into wolf, but she's not. I'm not really immortal. My relatives have already died before me, that's why I went to the mortal world to find her and maintain our family line. The father I thought to be our biological father was not true. I don't know my mother. Claire is the only one I think can help me get the answers if we properly talk. But every time I asked her about our parents, she would always change the topic. And she becomes angry. "
Jane took seconds to answer. "When I asked Claire if she knew her parents, she did the same thing. She would just say she didn't know and would change the topic. I can also feel anger coming from her. Well, it's obvious. She didn't know how she was born. She lived alone. She can't remember her childhood. Her body only remembers pain. She can't fully accept new people in her life for fear of hurting or losing them again."
There was silence again until Musica broke it with a question. "I'm curious about her involvement with Hades."
"Oh, yes. Thanks for reminding," Jane said. "She told me that she was with Hades for two years before meeting her again at the medical mission. The Boss was probably fond of her though she did not commit to becoming a part of them at all. He still provided shelter for her in exchange for her strength, wisdom and knowledge in traditional and modern medicines. She also mastered more weapons and increased her poisoning and healing skills while in there. She told me she also helped them with a training plan, but she really didn't become one of the hired assassins in the organization.
Before the Boss died, he told them his will that she should succeed him as their new leader. We know it. She didn't want to so she just left them, warning them not to bother her. The Boss didn't have a child of his own so his right hand took over. The new leader respected the former Boss's will so he still persuaded her to come back to them. He died though and another leader was elected, while passing the memorandum of making her their leader. Though they tried to persuade her in many ways, they didn't touch those few people close to her. It is because they were warned not to anger her and so destroy them single-handedly. Knowing her from 35 years ago, she probably could do it."
Finally hearing the truth about her connection with Hades, they just nodded.
Jane continued, "And, to answer one of our big questions: how was she able to come back to life; well, it's just my speculation. Since she was buried on the ground, the earth must be keeping her. She is her ally who keeps her alive and warm. Though I really think there's still something more behind this."
The atmosphere became heavy. Good thing, somebody opened the door and put some dinner for them.
"Well, that was a very supernatural and strange story, wasn't it?" Jane said, easing the tension with her smile. "Let's eat first."
While eating, Jane glanced at the wide-eyed Lance who's so quiet yet looked troubled. He was just holding the spoon and fork was not touching his food.
"If it's too much for you, just forget it," she said. "It must sound nonsense or just made up to you."
Lance was startled but he pulled himself together. He held the utensils tightly and looked at her. "It's just... too much." He almost broke into tears but held it on himself. "For her..."
"So, do you believe it?"
He started breathing in and out to calm himself. He looked at her in the eyes with a serious expression. "I believe it."
She smiled at his response.
"Also," continued Jane, with a sad but hopeful look. "Please don't think badly of her. She acts cold and speaks harshly, but that's just her way of protecting herself. She actually doesn't judge people. She's just testing them. And when she feels comfortable with you, she will care for you, but I think as a younger brother or sister only!"
They all nodded in agreement.
"We also care for her, that's why we're here!" Clarence said with a chuckle.
"Alright!" she said to all. "Here's my request to all of you. Take her back with you. I like the Claire now who's talking and smiling more. Her experience at the Family Hot Spring House for a year must have really made her felt normal and ordinary, surrounded by cheerful though not perfect co-workers. Her age might be hundreds of years apart from them but her heart is still young and inexperienced."
She smiled big at them before continuing. "I also want her to fall in love. Though I have no idea if she already did even once. Please take care of her from now on, okay?"
>>>>><<<<<
Claire finally awoke after four days since the rebels' attack. She touched her left temple where she was shot but there was no more wound. Canary saw her finally opened her eyes. The young girl looked at her with tears in her eyes and then immediately but politely went out.
Someone knocked and opened the door of where she was. Clarence came in bringing her a tray of food. He set it on the table near her bed.
"I'm actually hungry," she said, putting her feet on the floor and sat on the chair. She took the spoon and started first with the soup.
"Thank you, bro."
Clarence sat on the foot side of her bed. He looked at her as she was eating and smiled in relief because she looked normal – she was not pale, her face seemed brighter, not spaced out given what just happened. She was also eating faster and more than her normal portion of meal. But he understood because she was asleep for whole four days.
Claire noticed him even from behind. She glanced back. "Is there something on my face?" she asked. "Oh yes, I haven't taken a bath! Do I smell?"
Clarence laughed. "Don't worry. You don't smell. The girls took care of you for four days."
She smiled. "Yeah. They're really doing a good work."
"Can I just stay here? If you don't mind," Clarence asked.
"Okay."
After she finished all her food, she turned to Clarence.
"Well," he started. "Jane told us about you from 35 years ago."
"Oh, I see."
He then looked straight at her. "Claire, come back with us. We were given a condo unit in the city from a client who was very much satisfied with our help. It has two bedrooms and spacious living room. Sora and Musica already agreed that we can have it so we live together from now on. Is that okay with you?"
She didn't respond immediately. He waited for her in silence, until she finally nodded and said yes.
He smiled and nodded. "By the way, Lance already went back yesterday to our own country. He already cancelled his flight once but the last option was only yesterday. He told me to give this you when you wake up." He took something from his breast pocket and gave a folded paper to her.
She took it and opened it. She smiled when she saw. It was Linka's drawing of a woman with fist tail instead of human limbs. "Haha. Even though he told her that mermaids don't exist."
When Clarence felt that she is still in good mood, he insisted to talk to her more. "I have something to ask more."
"Hmm?"
"Please answer me honestly."
"Okay, brother."
"What do you think of Sora or Musica?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you feel something for them."
"Feel? Like what?"
"Uhm, something different. Something special."
He felt as if there are a lot of question marks forming at the top of her head. He thought of ways, words on how to arouse her love curiosity, even if he felt there's none yet based on her reaction. "Like, if you feel any physical attraction to either one of them?"
She shook her head. "No. They're just like brothers to me."
"Then, how about Lance?" He looked eager and excited to hear her answer.
She smiled. "That boy is a good person."
"Boy?" he wondered.
"He's like a younger brother to me."
Hearing her immediate, honest and pure answer made him cover his face with this palm and shook his head in resign.
"What's the matter, bro?" she asked so innocently that just made him laughed.
"Have you ever liked a man before? Not "brother" level."
More question marks formed above her head. She put her hand on her chin and looked up. "Even the guys who are celebrities that my friends from the Hot Spring House like looked the same and normal to me."
He tried to contain his laughter. "But I believe the time will come when you will feel something different from a man. You will realize you want to see him. You will wait for his messages. You want to hold his hand. You will want to embrace him. You just want him calling your name. When you see him with another woman, you will feel a little pain in your heart. But when you are with him, you will feel happy and at peace and secured, that you will want time to stop."
Claire just blinked her eyes, as if trying to absorb what he was saying.
"When that time comes, be brave to accept him. But first, be brave to open your heart. Whoever it is, I'll support you two, sis."
FOOTNOTES:
Song Title: You Are
Singer: Colton Dixon
Album: A Messenger
Year: 2012
Label: Sparrow
Songwriters: Colton Dixon, Rhyan Shirley, Jared Martin