Dust engulfed the whole place and when the six of them looked up at the hill again, the five figures were gone.
"Oh... "
"My... "
"God"
Salient, Ryan and Liam said accordingly.
Leo looked around the place, but didn't find them.
"If we can make it to that hill, I think we will find something. There's something, somewhere behind that thing... "
Leo turned to them, in preparation.
"And I am going to check it out" he said.
All eyes on him. All motivation from him.
Meanwhile, LiLi and Aisha are still facing the lady and the other men that surrounded them.
"Is that a challenge, miss?" the lady asked with a dangerous piece of a broad smile, pasted on her face lightly.
"It's not a challenge. It's a bet... " LiLi said and struggles to stand up.
Every single move she made, Aisha followed suite and faithfully.
"You tell me my name, and you eat me... " everyone roared at the terms laid down by LiLi.
"But if you can't tell me my name and you make me tell you... "
LiLi thought carefully when it came to this one. She knew she needed as much help as it took to get to Perilous. But will these people be of help? Without betrayal?
"You will do whatever I say and wherever I go... " LiLi took a step forward.
"You go" she completed.
The lady smiled widely at LiLi.
"Yu got two chances. Starting from now" LiLi said and the lady twisted her mouth and folded her arms, staring at the face of LiLi, very well and in a certain way.
"Cassie" she said.
LiLi smiled. She definitely won't know this one.
"Wrong. What is my name?"
The lady sighed in deep. LiLi was interrogating her and that was good.
"You can do it. C'mon" LiLi mocked.
The lady knew nothing about LiLi so what's the point in guessing her name? She should just give in instead of wasting her time on something she knows will be a challenge for her.
"No- " the lady started and LiLi smiled. It was obvious that she was going to say "Nora".
"Fine! You win! But just make sure you don't tell us to kill ourselves cause we will never, ever... "
"Don't worry, I don't tell people to kill other people. Unless they want to kill me" LiLi said with a smile and the lady pouted, cause she knew that what LiLi said was what they had in mind to do to their captives.
"First off, get these ropes off I and Aisha, now" LiLi said and when the lady that tried to guess her name looked at the Aisha, Aisha nodded like she was in charge.
The lady rolled her eyes and her men did as they were told by LiLi.
"Now. What's your name and why do you capture people across the green lands?" LiLi asked. It was her time to ask questions.
"Why don't you guess my name?" the lady asked.
"Don't be pathetic, I ain't that stupid" LiLi retorted cause she knew that the lady wanted her to guess her name and get it wrong so she could get her position of being in charge back.
But LiLi was no fool, why would the lady think like that?
"Clever one. I'm Felicity, Queen of the wildlands" Felicity said with pride and the wild men that surrounded them stared at her with charm.
LiLi raised an eyebrow at her.
"So, who is the person that proclaimed you as Queen?"
Felicity felt like throwing a dagger at LiLi, what's her problem, men?
It felt so embarrassing, especially to Felicity.
"As you can see, the strictness is visible. Of course I am the mistress of this pl-"
"But you just said a Queen. Now it's a mistress?" LiLi interrogated her.
Felicity let out a breath of anger and stared directly into the eyes of LiLi.
"Call me anything you want but, just don't call me stupid" she said and walked away in amidst anger and furiousity.
LiLi stared on as she walked and then she remembered why she actually want to use Felicity.
"Hey Queen of the wildlands, got any clue where Perilous is?"
Everybody paused whatever they did and stared at LiLi.
Even Felicity stopped walking but didn't look back. Aisha also stared at LiLi in a confused manner as the same thing went through their minds.
What does she want to do in Perilous?, they all thought.
Felicity turned and stared at LiLi, her mind hovering the question her dear new master just asked.
"Wh-What do you wanna do wi-with Perilous?" Felicity stammered incredulously and LiLi folded her arms, acting like she was the boss.
"Just answer the question, you know we had a-"
"There is no deal in this one" Aisha cut in, rubbing her wrist and preparing her standing position for a fight.
"What do you mean? I just asked a... "
"Perilous is the most dangerous city in Peril. What do you want to know about it? And are you from Pe- ?"
"All wild men are from Peril. But why did you ask of Perilous?" Felicity cut in and all the people eyes were now fixed on LiLi.
LiLi, obviously, was out of words. She couldn't express the type of embarrassing state she was in at that moment.
But why did she feel this way?
With the way they asked her if how she knew Perilous, it meant that they have something that can be useful. It can be some old objects, information and even maps or something.
But they looked scared all of a sudden. And LiLi wanted no one to be scared of her.
"Everyone.... Back to sleep!" Felicity said and all the men and women alongside with little children, went far behind them and laid down.
When they were gone, Felicity and Aisha faced LiLi.
Aisha shit daggers at Felicity. Though, she, too, wanted to know what LiLi needed from Perilous, so she just had to pretend for a while.
"My name is LiLi. I need to get to Perilous to end the rule of the current King... "
Aisha scoffed with impossibility and disbelief in her voice.
"What's so funny?" LiLi asked and Aisha rolled her eyes at how LiLi asked the question.
"You? End the rule? It's so clear you don't even know the ruler of Perilous. Talk more of the stopping his rule... " Aisha sarcastically said.
Felicity stared at LiLi with squinted eyes and thought for some few seconds.
"You said your name is LiLi?" she asked hysterically, eyeing LiLi in curiousity, but keeping her face in a stern posture.
"Yes... " Slowly came the reply and Felicity changed her standing position letting out a breath and staring at her earnestly.
"Daughter of... "