"where will we go now ?" Mada turned around asking Rani their destination.
Rani contemplated for awhile before answering.
"I want to see with my own eyes the World my late master saw in hers. let's check the most southern edge of Niso great plain first. my master said the ruin there was named by the Ancient Humans as Jak-arta. She found many artifacts when She visited that place."
"uhhhh.... we just go there to look for some ancient tools ? is that it ? I thought You were going to confront those Aruans and cause trouble and chaos instead."
" I have no such intention for the time being, by going there, at least we can also keep a large distance between us and my chaser, the Northern Arua confederacy. let's walk faster so that we can find a suitable place to camp in before night comes."
"You sure Your supplies are going to last us for a month ?"
"honestly no. if I was alone that might be the case. I didn't expect You to come with me. I forsaw You would outright reject me if it was not for my uncle."
"make sense. I also don't understand why did I backdown so easily in front of You two. I am one stubborn fellow after all."
"are You perhaps worried we might not be able to find more drinkable water and edible foods later ? " Rani gave a teasing expression to Mada.
"I will be stupid if I am not. We went through such distances to make sure You are not legally raped by the Aruan, only to starve to death afterward. sigh...."
"don't be disturbed about that, I do have plan. why would I suggest us to go there as our first stop then?"
She was smiling brightly, feeling optimism about the future of their long journey.
----------------
these two kids had planned not to return to Terraria City state for at least three years.
by that time, many things could happen. the marriage proposal would certainly be withdrawed if Rani managed slip from everyone's radar. She could be careless even if war was to breakout between the two nations once again.
people could die because of political strife, but They should still be able to choose their own fate. for her, sacrificing an individual for everyone's sake was not something She could sit still and watch, especially, if that sacrificial lamb was herself.
----------------
the Niso great plain was a frozen desert.
A cold waste land where one could never stumble upon life except for a very rare occasion, like some bugs, lost Mutant, or stranded Human.
to wander around such place without enough supplies and appropriate life support for tundra or polar climate, meant someone was about to commit suicide.
there was a dark, white and grey landscape as far as one's eye could see. the last remaining civilization These two could find was fifteen days walk behind. They were in the middle of one way journey.
if They went back now, They would surely starve while doing so. They had to move forward, no backward, if They did wanted to live. Rani had a plan to keep them from the impending hunger, and going back was not included in the grand scheme things.
----------------
"we dig here ?"
"yes, make sure to widen the size, bigger than the last one."
"we don't have time for that do we ? help me if that's what You want, and I told You we can feel warmer if we stayed closer while sleeping."
"I can not marry anyone if I were to be assaulted by a horny kid in the middle of nowhere. You even grope parts of my body yesterday."
"that was accident You see, accident. if I were so desperate, You and me won't stay virgin until now."
"....?.....???!!!!!, wha-what!!?? say again ? stay what ? this male, You really have no shame!!!!"
Rani threw the foods She was preparing towards Mada. Her face blushed like a boiled crab, She acted awkward after Mada said his line.
tonight, They would sleep in a tight hole like any other days since their departure.
----------------
They had slept in back to back position, seemingly didn't want to have a lively night like any other youngster usually did in such situation. They drew clear line in their relationship, a bodyguard and an employer, that was it.
after having dinner with the same menu for fifteen times straight. They went to their obscene chamber. a hole in the snowy ground that could precisely accomodate only two people inside. it was wider than the last one, but still too narrow for Rani nontheless.
They seldom talk while inside, too tired to have a wholesome discussion with one another. this was one of many reasons their relationship had not developed even after spending fifteen nights together.
but tonight would be different, or so Rani thought.
She didn't want to have to cross the line just yet, but She did have interest to this fellow for no apparent reason. She didn't now since when She had such affection for this unruly and insensitive boy.
in this Era, to marry and build a family at very young age was common, as long as the bride and groom already had the capability to perform their nightly activity. in Rani case, She should be a wife in the age of eleven, and gave birth to a baby before She turned fifteen.
although, She wanted to feel and experience falling in love.
just like her mother before She married her father. even if She could not obtain that wish, She wanted at least, She would be juxtaposed with someone She already closed with, like Mada.
He was not handsome in the slightest, heck, Temür was much more attractive than him, even though Temür was much older than Rani.
it was pretty much normal for a young girl to be handed over to an old man in this society, and that was why Rani was afraid to be wed with someone She did not know. if anything, She would choose death over servicing a geezer that might die at any moment. to be a widow when She was still in her Prime ? that was a big NO.
given the fact She could prevent that from happening if She did something, suicide was in for the option.
"Mada, You still awake ? "
with her back facing Mada. She gathered up her courage to start a conversation.
"I do"
"....."
"If You have anything to say, just spit it out"
"me..., thank You....., for a accompanying me"
"You needed half a month to say that."
"I know, it was just.... so awkward. The way we interacted, I presumed that You already knew I've been thankful to you this whole time."
"no Human can understand other's heart without them telling how They feel directly."
"then, do tell me, what do You think about being with me all this time ?"
"why do You wanna know ?"
"I have told You my feeling, I was expecting You would do the same, but I do not intend to force You to tell me, if You don't feel You want to... good night"
three minutes passed. Rani had cuddled back in her blanket. Mada face became red while He stirred up the answer inside his head.
'happy, I'm just happy to spend my days with a kind and beautiful girl like You, Rani. oh mother, why was I too shy to just say a simple sentence that I'm happy to be with her ? hahhhh....." Mada sighed inwardly.
----------------
the next morning.
They didn't have breakfast, They ought to preserve what was left from their limited supply. after waking up and got out of their sleeping hole. the ever dim sunlight greeted them. They had to start moving again. wasting no time, the long march to the South begun. soon They would reach their destination in about a week.
The two would resupply, as planned by Rani, when They arrived on the edge of the Niso great plain. her late master had told her some perks about the place, and the way to survive long enough in this vast frozen field.
They could replan what They were really going to do, whether to continue to other places or searching artifact after that.
----------------
One week later.
"there is a beautiful and attractive girl beside you, and that old leaf parchment is what You cared all this time, ckckck."
Rani gave a cynical remark on the over focused Mada
"we were lucky we didn't meet any lost Mutant up until now, I'm just preparing for that eventuality."
"and that creepy scroll is the answer ?"
"You saw how potent this parchment's hallucination and psychotic effects on me. if You had Your martial art taught to You by Your master, then this scroll is my master."
"still.... it is really weird someone can muster a high level martial art movement by just reciting some random poem."
"I know right. that is why old man Wirya told me to keep this one with me at any cost. or this may become the cause of another war between big factions."
"You better do that. I don't want to have another psychopath slaughtering everyone while mumbling over some weird shits."
"that line hurts my feeling."
"I didn't specifically say it was you."
"..."
Mada sulked and couldn't answer Rani anymore. but He still redirected his focus toward the old parchment.
sooner or later. They would be forced to fight, either Human or Mutant, or both, They have to survive this first ordeal. the ruin of the Ancient Human was not some Tourist spot where one could wander safely.
while Mada had plenty of fighting, or even slaughtering experiences under his belt. Rani only had fighting practices with her master, and very few real battle experience.
thus Mada assumed the carry role for the two of them.
if a mighty enemy or a group of opponents were to face them, and Mada was to fall. Rani's fate would obviously be sealed. Mada could not let that happen.
He had been fond of Rani presence this past month. He would put her safety in his top priority. his promise with old man Wirya had to with this sure, but He would still do this even there wasn't such promise.
"that's it. the ruin of Ancient Human, can You see those structures ?." Rani pointed her finger toward twelve o'clock direction.
"just some small pyramidal and half ball shaped mounds, our people could construct structures better than those right?"
"let's go to that cave over there."
She proceeded to walk over a path on their three o'clock direction.
it was a large hole, seemingly from unnatural origin. its entrence was like, a door without the door itself.
a large door with ten times Human height was surely here sometime in the past. something must have happened and the door vanished. Leaving a large uncovered cave in the present.
"let's prepare ourselves before heading in. I believe Your master told You this place is not a pleasant garden to visit occasionally, right? " Mada stopped right before the large cave entrance.
"Yeah.... let's activate our artifact, and I will keep my Mutation active, just incase." Rani nodded to him
They took out their five artifacts : Mada's dagger, Rani katana, the plasma gun, visor and lastly, the twenty centimeters black tube from their respective bags.
"I will use this electric rifle and visor. I will save my katana for now and support You from behind." Rani gave the black tube to Mada
"what is this ? "
Mada was curious about the thing on his hand
"I am not sure, but if my memory serves me right. it was called the laser sword by my family elders. a white light that can cut everything, even the hardest metal, the light will radiate from the tube and served as a light sword."
"Holy f*ck. tha sounds really cool."
"I'm glad You like it. You can combine it with Your poem power and produce stronger combo
than when You equip Your dagger. save Your dagger for now. let us play with our new toys."
"Yeah, I agree with you, by the way, how the hell I activate this...."
Mada looked for some non existence buttons.
"pull the lower half away and spin it around from left to right."
swwwoooopppp !!!!! a white one meter light busrted out from upper side of the black tube.
"I know it will be cool, but seeing this with my own eyes now. it looked way cooler than I anticipated."
"don't be enchanted by the appearance You dummy."
"yeah...sorry, the utility comes first, I know. I can not wait to try this out."
Mada seemed eager to barge inside the large cave.
"You will see more amazing things inside, let's be calm and proceed slowly."
"sure, shall we go now ? "
"ehm"
Rani once again gave her approval and nodded.
the two finally went inside the Ancient ruin.
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to be continued