Two Goblins, dash after me as I keep running, through the bushes until I get to the Whale Mountain.
"Akish!! (Wait)" one of them yells in the Goblin language.
I ignore him and increase my steps. There's no way, I'll wait up.
"Yeongli bu (surrender now!!)" He yells.
I stretch my hand towards them and make a frost. It prevents them from seeing me, creating a great gap between us. I begin to get tired and thirsty. I hide behind the olive tree. My legs wobble due to stress, so I climb the tree to rest. I can hear the rustling of leaves. I can also smell them.
They smell like rotten eggs, kept in a fridge for so long. I chuckle at my description. One of them stands under the tree, I am, and calls my name.
"Orion!!". My name sounds so nice in their mouths and yet my life is sought after by them. " Orion!!, I know you're close by. I can smell you". I stay still, not making any sound. "Yeongli (surrender)"
I chuckle. Do they expect me to surrender? If I do, what will happen next? They will take me to their King, and have my head feed to the dogs. No way. I will wait up here, for a while until I'm sure their voices have faded away and so are their scents.
After a while, I sniff around and the air is pure. Fill with sweet olive fragrance. I jump down from the tree, going in search of Melvin. I search everywhere I think he can be but I can't find him. I'll just go to my house and take a shower then come back to look for him.
I follow the crooked path. It's a rough and dangerous way but the shortest cut to the mountain and will also hide me from the Goblins. I walk along the path carefully, picking my steps to prevent falling over. As I walk, I can smell a Demon close by but the scent goes and comes to and fro motion. I sniff, trying to get the exact Demon it belongs to.
When someone jumps on me, I jump and almost lose my balance. He holds me fast enough.
"Hey". I turn to see Melvin.
I groan, "How many times have I warned you to stop scaring me that way?". He chuckles, releasing my hand. "That doesn't answer my question" I yell
"Free me please". I scoff. Is he for real? "You can keep standing there, while the Goblins catch up on you," he says.
I roll my eyes in a circular but slow motion. An act I have come to love. I walk past him at speed.
"Akish la (wait up)" he yells in Goblin language.
I chuckle but keep running. I reply in Dragon language, knowing he doesn't speak it so well.
"Owa owl ook li".
He growls. "What's that?". I laugh and wait for him to catch up with me. "What is Owa owl ook li?"
I stretch my hand to the apple tree, plug one of them, and take a bite. "It's the Dragon language".
He scoffs. "I know, what does it mean?" He asks
"Run faster, lazy boy". He hit me playfully
"I'm not lazy". I chuckle
"Of course you are". He scoffs and I laugh
"It's getting late. We should run home"
**
I lie on my bed quietly with Melvin beside me. We stay still, listening to the sound of the radio. It's a piece of slow music. Soon, my body vibrates, and I feel a bit hotter than usual. I sit upright and Melvin follows suit.
Melvin whispers, "Can you feel it?"
I place my hand on his mouth to shut him up. I stand up quietly from the bed and tiptoe to the door. I peep through the knob hole and see some Dragons matching towards the house. I tiptoe back to Melvin
Speaking in the Demon language, I say, "Gol Dragon iel amis (Some Dragons are here)"
He jumps out of the bed and we follow the secret passage out of the house but unfortunately, one of the Dragons sees us. He alerts the rest and we run for our dear lives. They follow us in haste, throwing balls of fire at us.
We run through the forest. As I run, I can see the Goblins too.
Still running, I turn to look at Melvin, "Goblins iel amis aal (Goblins are here too)".
Melvin turn. "They are catching up on us. Mepgl gunl ia (let's split up)".
I nod in agreement cause right now that's the only solution. We decided to split up, to reduce them but before then, we agreed to meet at my place in the evening. I follow the path to Whale Mountain, while he follows the path to the Blood River. We will have to lose track of them as fast as we can, so we can head back home.
**
It's evening. Right now, we are seated on my balcony with a glass of wine and fries. After so many runs today from Goblins and Dragons, Melvin thinks we need to give ourselves a nice treat.
I sip from my glass of wine and place it on the table. Pick a book up to read. I've been reading about humans lately. I've made up my mind to run there for a while until everything dies down. To achieve this, I've been reading so many books about them. How they act, how they speak. It's lucky for me, that I already speak English and can also use most of their equipment. I'm very sure it won't be difficult for me to live with them in disguise
"Ori, I've been thinking, we need to find a way to stop this hide-and-seek, that you do with the Goblins and Dragons". I roll my eyes halfway to the left slowly and blink them twice before concentrating on the book, I am holding
"Orion, talk to me. What are we going to do? Your life's been sought after. Their numbers increase daily". I stop reading and sigh.
"I'm leaving Lavina" I announce. He stares at me in shock
"You're joking right?".
Dropping the book 'Acting Human' I am reading on the table, I stare at him. "I'm not, Melvin. I've thought about it so many times. I know the only solution is to leave Lavina"
He holds my hand, "Ori, why can't you just stay back. Don't you love it here?".
I groan. Of course, I love it here, even when it's obvious, that we Demons are being hated and used as slaves. But there's no place like home. I love everything about this place but I can't stay back. My life is at risk and so is the life of many others.
"Orion, you're not saying anything" I sigh, resting my back on the armchair
"That's the only option, Mel". He scoffs
"Did you hear yourself? What if your identity is discovered by humans and you are being killed or even used as an experiment?".
I groan. I know he's trying to make sense here. I know he's trying to keep me safe but staying in Lavina is as good as being dead.
"Melvin, try and understand my decision"
He rolls his eyes, "Your life is at risk! Don't you get it"
"You should understand that, in whichever way my life is at risk. The difference is that, here in Lavina, my days are numbered but in the human realm, I remain safe, for as long as my identity is covered"
"Can't you consider it for a while?"
"Melvin, I've made my decision. And it's final".
He hissed, "You're so difficult to convince"
I chuckle. "You taught me that"
He groans. "So what are your plans?"
I sit up. "I'll be staying at Whale Mountain until I get a chance to run away"
"Is it going to be safe there?"
"Sure, for as long as nobody finds out"
"When are you leaving for the Whale Mountain?"
"This night to prevent anyone from knowing"
Without staring at me, he said, "Ok", I sigh
I know he's not happy with the situation at hand. I'm not happy either but that's the only way to be safe.