Note: At this point maybe I should write a romance novel.
"Do you even have romantic feelings for me?"
"Well of course I do. Do you see the way I look at you?!"
...
Luckily for Terran, his 'free' time was over so he took the opportunity to quickly 'escape' again.
This time, Nawiri did not push him. She had already proven her point. As for Terran, he almost ran as he walked away. He was that nervous!
In Terran's head, many reasons why he could not let love entangle him ran through his mind – from his many responsibilities as the first born son, to his alien nature as part of the Arun, to his non-human appearance, and to his general lack of confidence in all matters concerning love.
However, before he could leave the Underground, he actually bumped into Zeri.
"Sometimes when I see you I can't help but fantasize about kicking you in the face." These were Terran's first words to Zeri.
"Wow, how can you say that so unprovoked. No hi, no how have you been, no I missed you, straight to violent words, huh." Zeri exclaimed with pain in his voice.
He felt really wronged. However, in the next instant, he was already back to his upbeat self.
"I heard that you and Nawiri snuck off together, did you seal the deal." Zeri asked.
All the while, he was winking shamelessly. Seeing this, Terran felt that this guy really looked like a perverted leprechaun.
With one look at Terran's face, Zeri knew that the fellow had not gone through with it.
"What, you didn't, man what are you even waiting for?" Zeri asked.
"I don't know. I don't know why I ran away." This time Terran was honest.
Even Terran did not understand his own fear anymore.
Zeri could not believe what he was hearing.
He shouted in mild anger, "Just kiss her!", Terran was almost shaken by Zeri's shout, "Please if you won't do it for your sake, if you wont do it for her sake, do it for my sake cause I am dying here. What is with all this will they won't they nonsense?"
"You are lucky she is so patient with you. Giving you chance after chance." Zeri added.
Maybe this was the wake up call that Terran needed.
'She has been so patient with me. What if my fear, my rejection, causes her to slip away?!' Terran could not bear the thought.
A determined look entered Terran's eyes. He would no longer hesitate. Without even answering Zeri, Terran turned back and ran to find Nawiri.
When he found her, she was already back with her friends but Terran did not care. He ran towards her, grabbed her, and planted one on her lips in front of all of her friends!
Bold!
Audacious!
Everyone witnessing this was shocked.
As for the two people at the center of it all, they were lost in a world of their own; a world of raw lightning, excitement, and pleasure.
When they finally separated, Nawiri asked what had been at the back of her mind all this time that she was pursuing Terran. Although she did not show it, rejection after rejection had definitely eaten away at her confidence.
"What changed your mind?" She was breathless from the deep kiss as she asked.
"My mind did not change. Maybe I truly learned something about life while training under the Chameleon." Terran said.
"No disguise can conceal love where it is nor feign it where it is not." Terran's answer was accompanied by a wave of confidence. He, she, they were deserving of love!
That is how the love story between Etibar Aurel-Terran and Nawiri Alizeti began.
If he was asked later in life, those days when Terran was naïve had been like heaven to him. At one point, the two lovers almost got caught sneaking around about to do all kinds of 'sinning' within one of the backrooms of the Underground.
In this type of happy atmosphere, the two years at Black Terrace went by in a flash.
Before he knew it, it was almost time for Terran to graduate. And in that time, he was no longer a rookie Earth Rank warrior. He had already stepped into the second level, the Eternal Cliff Grade.
Two winters and summers had gone by. The clearance period where students would graduate had finally arrived.
As a commendable cadet and model student, Terran was one of the students who would have an early graduation. Similarly, Zeri and Nawiri, who had joined the institution earlier than Terran, would also graduate in this period.
"Hey babe what are you looking for?" Nawiri walked up to Terran and gave him a huge hug.
"Don't worry, just a little payback that's all." Terran answered as he held her in his arms.
Nawiri laughed nervously as she gave Terran a scared look.
"What? I haven't done anything yet!" She exclaimed in feigned shock.
"It's not for you silly."
In fact Terran was looking for Zeri.
During the clearance period, there were superiors from all over the kingdom coming to Black Terrace to oversee various things. And Zeri had actually gotten Terran into trouble when he caused a scene in front of superiors before disappearing to god knows where.
It might have been okay to throw tantrums in front of General Zafarani who they were already familiar with but other experts they didn't know? At least Terran he would not do it. Zeri was truly a 'different breed'.
"Zeri does pull his share of prissy prima donna tantrums." Nawiri commented after hearing what Zeri had done.
However, in this moment, both lovers were overcome by a sense of sadness.
Their time at the Terrace was coming to an end.
Both of them knew that they would soon be separated.
After the clearance period, Nawiri was the first to leave the Terrace while Terran stayed back for a few more months to complete his apprenticeship under Udona.
When Terran had seen her off, he had given her a mini back-hug before asking for a way to contact her.
Nawiri gave Terran a magic communication card that had the number triple 9 on it.
The funny thing was that, this number actually gave Terran a shock. Once in the past when he was still a newbie working in the Underground, he was traumatized when dealing with a demonic creature. That demonic being had actually tricked him and given him a demonic number that haunted him for weeks!
However, this was just a passing thought.
"I will miss you, very very much." Terran said as he rocked Nawiri in his arms.
"What will you do when you miss me? I don't want to hear rumors about another woman." She said with a pout on her face.
Seeing her cute pouting face, Terran couldn't help but pinch her cheeks almost molding them like clay.
"When I miss you, I don't have to stray far. I just have to look inside my heart because that is where I will find you." This was Terran's reply.
A very cheesy reply. But to Nawiri, it was music to the ears.
"You smooth talker." She knocked his chest while giggling.
She was really 'down' for this man. Practically on her knees in an emotional sense.
But it wasn't just her. Terran's heart was also filled with love for this woman. Whatever she wanted, he would do it. Before she left, Terran even composed a love song for her.
The song that Terran composed for Nawiri went like this:
Daughter of Zavala
Oh divine,
Behold the daughter of Zavala
Who has grown up.
Young woman, when will she
return?
When does my love come back?
Daughter of the mountains
Daughter of Zavala
Leader of girls and women
...
Tell me, when will you return?
Oh, Nawiri, chief of women
Behold, daughter of Zavala
Her teeth are like ash
Her neck resembles a snake
Coming out of a vase.
All the men want her
My girl appears on the path from Suna
If you see her, I shall meet her
...
Behold, daughter of Zavala
Tall, graceful
Who can compare to her
Yes, all the men are in love with her
But I shall ward them away
Come, I will take you from home
Listen, let us return together
To the house I built for you
Oh, Nawiri, chief of women