"BIMO!!!" Negu cried out in a teary voice, darting off her heels at the sight of the trio that stepped out of the forest path, illuminating their sight with lanterns.
A few villagers rushed to them in concern.
"Bimo!!" Aunt Negu called once more as she reached them, forcing Danji to halt with the girl in his arms.
Danji and the others only watched the dear mother pant in both panic and relief, stretching out her shakey hands to touch her daughter's unconscious face.
Her face was already drenched with tears and her eyes squirted and swollen. Her lips couldn't stop quivering in fear of losing another one of her children.
Biwa, Bimo's twin, quickly made it to her mother's side, widening her eyes at the sight of her sister.
"What happened to her!?!" Was the first thing she asked the three, sighting the sympathetic grimaces on their face.
"What happened to Bimo!?" Her voice cracked.
Danji, who still had her in his grasp, offered a weak smile, "Don't worry, she's just unconscious. Nothing happened to her".
Negu then looked up, "B- But... How did she get into the forest in the first place?..."
Danji bit his lips.
"Aunty..." Kamyla took the bold step, "We found her in the forest wit—"
"She was unconscious in the woods!" Ajefe's voice overshadowed her, stepping forward to place a hand on Kamyla's shoulder. He added, "We don't know how she got there or what she was doing there, but thankfully she's safe".
Aunt Negu broke into tears, pushing forward to embrace her daughter in Danji's arms.
"Thank the Ancestors", she murmured, gripping unto Bimo.
Kamyla on the other hand, turned to narrow her gaze at Ajefe with questioning eyes as to why he interrupted her with a lie.
Ajefe simply patted her shoulder, gesturing to her that he'd explain later.
"Let me take her to Mama Enhu to check her..." Danji stated.
Negu took a moment before pulling away with shivering hands, wiping her eyes before nodding. "Okay..."
Danji nodded, walking in the direction of the 'Healing' hut. Negu and Biwa followed after him, leaving Kamyla and Ajefe behind.
Kamyla instantly slapped his hand off her shoulder. "Why did you lie!?"
"I had to. We can't just tell them that Prince Leviathan—"
"Why are you protecting him!?" Her voice pitched higher, "He kidnapped and tried to hurt Bimo—!"
Ajefe's palm met her lips, pushing her backward. "Lower your voice!"
Kamyla frowned, feeling Ajefe pull her by the arm and to the back of the nearest hut.
She pushed off his hand, "What is your problem, Ajefe!!" She snapped.
"I should be asking you that! Because you're becoming pretty emotional right now!"
"What!?" Her brows creased deeper.
Ajefe then drew out a sigh, pinching his forehead to take in a deep breath. "Listen, Kamy..." He looked down at her. "We can not go around telling the whole village that the stranger devil has started kidnapping our people! Especially not when we know the whole story—"
"What damn whole story are you talking about!? He was clearly trying to use her for some satanic ritual!!"
"Because that's what we assumed!"
Kamyla leaned back to take a better view of his figure with a disbelieving gaze. "Can you even hear yourself?..."
"That aside," he continued, "If the people start to feel that Prince Leviathan is an inch dangerous, it will only lead to panic and mayhap controlled by fear and mistrust. We can stir up such chaos amongst our people".
Parting her lips to instinctively retort, Kamyla held back her tongue for a moment to give his words a thought.
She kissed her teeth, "That doesn't still prove he is as innocent as you claim—"
"Because he's not".
The other voice pulled their gazes over their shoulders to spot the approaching person. Danji unhurriedly strode up to them.
Ajefe could already read the argument drawn in Danji's dark eyes as he finally halted next to them. Ajefe sighed, "You both are missing the point here—"
"And you are missing a few screws in your head if you think a hell borne like him would do anything none harmful to our own in isolation. And of all, at this time of the night within the forest!"
Ajefe only exhaled once more, rubbing his forehead in exhaustion. "Okay, fine! Let's assume you both are right..." He was already too labored to prolong the argument. "We still can't tell the people. Not yet at least. Baba said in a few days they would get back to us, so we promised to contain the hell prince till then".
"You're right, we won't," Danji nodded, "But we'll have to keep a closer eye on him and try to distance him from our people as much as possible."
He then turned to Kamyla, "I need you to stay with Aunt Negu and her daughters in the hut".
Kamyla's brows knitted.
And without needing her to voice out her question, he added, "Ajefe and I will go survey the woods for any suspicious activities and try and locate Mister Hellfire to keep an eye on him."
"But I can help—"
"We would both feel more secure if we knew there was someone to watch over our people in the meantime."
Clearly reluctant to his order by just her facial expression, Kamyla nodded before taking in a deep breath.
"Are you sure you both will be okay?" Her gaze softened.
Danji smiled, "Of course... We're Sah' Jangi warriors, after all".
"Sure..." Ajefe's voice hinted with mirth as he pushed out a playful grin, "We'll be perfectly okay with a demon whose abilities are still a mystery to us and can vanish and appear anywhere at any time and possibly has the power to wipe out our entire village in a single wave".
Kamyla's brows dropped. "Ever heard of optimism?"
Ajefe smiled, "Like I said... Sure. We're Sah' Jangi warriors".
The three chuckled at their subtle humor.
• • •
Moments after, the two male warriors set off for the humane forest boarding the south of the village — in search of their demonic babysitting candidate — leaving behind Kamyla to monitor the village.
Within the small confinement of the Healing hut, Bimo was laid in, Aunt Negu and Biwa knelt next to Bimo's bamboo bed, carefully rinsing her body with the warm towel and bowl by their side.
Kamyla then walked in.
"How is she now?" She asked with a grimace, shortening the distance between them.
Biwa was the only one to turn in her direction. "Still the same.."
Kamyla halted next to them, carefully squatting with her eyes locked on Bimo's body.
Despite her skin being unblemished by any injury or her head not marked by any visible trauma, Bimo had remained unconscious and unresponsive throughout the hour after their rescue.
Mama Enhu had confirmed her good health and stable system, but yet, Bimo had still not woken up or even blinked.
And with each second that passed, the more petrified and demoralized her mother got. Aunt Negu's eyes dared not look away from her precious child, a child she feared the worst in the hands of fate. The same fate that took an only son as well...
Her hands gripped tightly on the towel as she continued to wipe Bimo's body.
Kamyla, on the other hand, remained silent as she watched the melancholic being of the mourning mother, shrouded with grief and woe, attend to her darling child, who seemed stranded on the line of both worlds.
Her heart aches.
Looking back at Bimo, Kamyla's fingers clutched into the fabric of her skirt, as she gulped down the wedge of guilt.
What would have happened?... She asked herself. What would have happened if they had come just a few minutes later? What would have become of Bimo if they had taken the wrong route and delayed?
She bit her lips.
If anything had happened to that child, it would have destroyed Aunt Negu.
Just days ago, she lost her son, and she is now losing one of her daughters?...
And worst to that diabolic creature that invaded their peace!?... As selfish as it sounded, Kamyla knew she wouldn't be able to bear the guilt of failing to protect both her late son and now Bimo.
Even after Baba had entrusted them with the surveillance of Prince Leviathan... Yet this happened.
Kamyla's doe brown eyes slowly lowered in shame. But like Ajefe humored, they knew next to nothing of this new guest of theirs.
Not his abilities, the full length of his powers, or his weakness...
So how in hell's name were they even sure of defeating him if he decided to turn against them? Not that she expected much honesty from a vile such as him, but not this soon, at least.
Or perhaps, maybe, they had become so nonchalant and passive that they couldn't even perceive the enemy crawling underneath their noses.
She grimaced.
They've truly fallen from the standards of true warriors.
"I..."
Kamyla snapped her head up at the light murmur she'd just heard. They all paused.
Lying still on the bed, Bimo's lips parted slightly as what sounded like a groan escaped along with the words, "I need... To..."
Negu instantly jerked closer, grasping Bimo's shoulders.
"Bimo!" She called out in a Shakey voice, failing to hold the lake at the verge of her eyes. "Bimo—"
"Aunt, wait!" Kamyla moves closer, holding Negu by the arm.
Negu turned to her. "What is it?!" Her voice was cracked in anxiety and excitement at the same time.
"She's trying to say something..."
Kamyla leaned forward to Bimo, gesturing they remained still for a moment.
Bimo stayed silent yet unconscious, with her fingers twitching slightly. "War... Warriors..."
Bimo delayed longer, "... I... ne— need to tell... Them..."
Kamyla's brows knitted. Need to tell them what?... What Leviathan was trying to do to her?...
Bimo's muscles only twitched slightly as her head turned in her subconscious and she moaned.
Tell us what?! Kamyla's heart wasn't taking the tension well.
"Ah..." Bimo's head turned slightly. "A- Ah... Ahwo... Mozi..."
Kamyla's eyes widened, feeling the chill ripple down her spine. Her lips gapped in, "Ahwomozi..."