The carriage made of gold moved to the city, passing the bustling people.
Sitting in silence inside the expensive carriage is me, the slug woman, and Alexandra. My position is near the window, while the lids of my eyes are squinted in boringness, gazing outside as I caress Pula's hardened body with my left hand.
"We're near the Dregs Arena, boss," said the slug woman, sitting opposite to me.
I didn't bother responding since I already knew before she even informed me. The elliptical building of the arena came into sight before she even told me.
The scars on my back felt like being poked by pins and needles. A reminder of those awful memories that took place recently in that arena.
Yet the ambience and the weather today appear rather serene and calm. Contrary to the dreadful memories invading my head.
Like everything that happened was just a mere nightmare. How I wish that was indeed the case.
My eyebrows pulled upward together, looking at the bright sky.
The soft gust of the wind entered inside the carriage, blowing my long black hair as it slightly swayed in the air. In a tone that only I could hear, I whispered her name through the gentle whistle of the breeze.
"Pula…" I mumbled.
"Did you say something lass?" Alexandra asked, sitting beside me.
The emotions on my face immediately disappeared, staring at the bustling street market again in a bored look.
"Nothing," I replied. Not bothering to glance at Alexandra.
After that, the carriage stopped in front of the Dregs Arena, and one by one, we descended down on the ground. A line of soldiers greeted us. Or so the slug woman beside me. Since they all ignored me and just bowed respectfully to this gladiator woman.
I glance at my newly acquired personnel, curving my lips to an arc.
The gladiator woman gulped as she cleared her throat. "Attention soldiers!"
The soldiers straighten their bodies instantly.
"I am beyond honoured to introduce Lady Nasrin from the Urduja Clan!" The gladiator woman said.
Other soldiers widened their eyes, staring at me in shock. The remaining ones are confused and suspicious. They were staring at my clothes, at the white blade, at my face, and at the lifeless pink rabbit in my left arm.
They probably recognized my face as the criminal who stole gold from their general.
I can understand the suspicious gaze. I am also well aware that I'm only wearing a long black robe, ordinary pants, and leather boots. Before we left the Cassidy Mansion, I borrowed clothes from Joan because there's a blood smudge on my clothes.
And I don't like the smell of blood. I craved it, but I don't like it. I know it's confusing. I'm also feeling complicated about it.
Anyway, the point is I change my clothes to something similar to what a priest would wear.
So, it is understandable to be puzzled with my clothing style, but I don't care about any of this. As long as I feel presentable, clean, and comfortable. That's all that matters to me. It's not like I went here to walk in a fashion show and boast about my clothes.
What I care about is Pula, and I don't like how they are staring at Pula. Well, there is no menacing glare, but I just don't want them to stare at Pula.
My brows crease, hugging Pula to cover her body from these imbeciles.
"Salute to the daughter of the duke!" The gladiator woman said in a commanding tone.
The soldiers listened, planting one of their knees on the ground, placing their plan on their chest.
"We welcome Lady Nasrin of the Urduja Clan…" the soldiers mumbled disunited.
"Aunt, your soldiers seem to be out of shape," Alexandra commented, chuckling at the soldiers.
The gladiator woman gritted her teeth, looking embarrassed. "One more ti…"
"That's enough," I interrupted. "Let's go to Bakunawa," I said.
The gladiator woman nodded reluctantly. "This way boss," she said, leading me inside the building.
We walked on the dim passage as the four lamps on the walls barely lit the path. Shortly, we reached the underground floor of the arena, and we all stopped in front of a huge and thick metallic door.
The gladiator woman commanded her soldiers to open the entrance, and little by little, the metallic door was pushed open.
Laying inside is the huge dark blue serpent, Bakunawa. Her eyes were closed deeply like she was in a deep slumber. Well, she is, currently.
"Wake her up," I mumbled.
The gladiator woman knitted her eyebrows. "Boss, Bakunawa might run amok."
"No need to worry," I replied calmly. "Just do it."
The gladiator woman nodded as she released a sigh. "Soldiers, get me a bucket of holy water," she ordered to the two men guarding on the side.
"Aye general," the soldiers replied, then they left.
"Where did this holy water come from?" I asked the gladiator woman. Just wondering how different this world works from my original one.
The gladiator woman opened her mouth, but Alexandra suddenly came beside me.
"It came from the spring lake of the Mapleism Church, there is one built in Nilad City," Alexandra answered.
The gladiator woman rolled her eyes, but she nodded in agreement.
"Mm," I hum, losing my interest.
"Do you have any other questions? You can always ask me lass," Alexandra said, standing beside me a little close.
My brows creased, scooting away from her. Alexandra sighed as she remained silent again.
After a while, the two soldiers came back with a bucket. The gladiator woman took it, pouring it on top of Bakunawa's head.
The blue serpent squinted her eyes open, half awake.
My rigid face softens. "Bakunawa," I called out to her.
Bakunawa roamed her large eyes around, then it stopped as those eyes gaze at me and at Pula.
[Mortal…] A feminine voice called out weakly in my mind.
I turned to the gladiator woman and said, "I need to be alone with Bakunawa."
The gladiator woman frowned, but she nodded, ordering for everyone to disperse.
However, Alexandra remained standing beside me. "You too," I said, pointing at her. "Leave."
Alexandra wrinkled her brows. "Lass, it's dangerous to be alone with this creature," she said worriedly.
"I've been alone with Bakunawa in the arena, and she was the only one who tried to help and protect me at that time," I stated. The facts and the truth.
Alexandra swallowed, then she sighed in resignation. "I'll be waiting in the corridor, call me if you need help," she said, walking outside the room.
I didn't bother replying, waiting for Alexandra to leave.
When there is only me and Bakunawa left in the room, I approach the half-awake serpent.
[Mortal, why do you have a dead halfling in your arm? And that white blade seems…]
"It's a long story, Bakunawa," I replied, putting down Pula next to her.
[You seem different from before, and your soul seems to be also a little chaotic.]
Chaotic?
"What do you mean?" I asked, walking to the weapons on Bakunawa's body.
[Half of it appears like an abyss of darkness, while the other half is transparent. Why did you ask? Did you do something immoral?]
"Yes."
[Hmm, so why did you come back here?] Bakunawa asked. Changing the topic.
"I'll tell you once you're free," I said simply, taking out the weapons stuck on her body one by one.
Bakunawa didn't ask again as she let me pull the weapons out. When I finally took the last weapon, Bakunawa glowed brightly, then her body started to shrink in size transforming to a body similar to a human.
There is a single horn on the middle of her forehead, and her red tongue slither in and out of her mouth.
"M-mota-al, I'm f-fee…" Bakunawa called, grinning as she showed her small canines. Her voice sounded awkward and hoarse, and her long dark-blue hair was the only cover she had on her body.
I stripped my robe since I still have a tunic shirt on the inside. I draped the black robe to cover Bakunawa's naked body.
"You're free," I said, nodding at her.
[It's uncomfortable for me to talk in your language,] Bakunawa transmitted in my head, looking at me with a reddened face.
"It's fine, you can speak with me however you want," I said, picking Pula next to her with my left hand.
[Well mortal, since I still owe you a debt, tell me what compensations or favours you want,] Bakunawa said.
"Then can you help me find Pula's family?" I said with a hopeful gaze.
Bakunawa frowned, crossing her arms in her chest. [That halfling? Why?] She transmitted to my mind suspiciously.
"I want to let them know about Pula's…" I paused, gulping hard as I cleared my throat and continued, "...ahem, I want to hold Pula's funeral with them, they also deserve to know."
Bakunawa remained silent looking at me, then she transmitted, [Well, I need to know something first.]
I nodded cooperatively. "Go ahead," I said.
[Did you tame that halfling?] Bakunawa asked, narrowing her eyes menacingly.
"No, I didn't know anything about taming when I met Pula, it was an accident, but I'm grateful that Pula came to me," I explained.
[You don't seem to be lying based on the fluctuations of your soul,] Bakunawa commented, nodding her head as she walked around me in a circle.
Bakunawa then lifted my right arm, staring at it for a while. [I see, it seems like you treated your tame halfling like your own blood-related family, mortal.] Bakunawa commented with a relieved smile.
My brows creased. "Yes, I treated her like family, but how did you know?"
[Because this white blade is made from the body part of your halfling, based on the missing horn on this rabbit, it seems the one that is forged is her missing horn.] she replied casually.
I held my breath as I gasped in shock. "What?"
[Why are you so shocked?] Bakunawa asked, puzzled.
Then her lips mouthed in an O shape. [You probably don't know this culture in this world, but if a bone of a tamed monster can be re-attach to the tamer's body, then it means that your body accepts this foreign part as part of yourself, and the same goes to your halfling's bone. In other words, both of you treated each other like families.]
"That's supposed to be…normal?" I said, frowning.
[Yes.] Bakunawa nodded.
"Why do you seem so casual about it? I thought you don't like humans taming you and your fellow friends?" I questioned. Anger visible to my voice. "Pula is a half sacred beast, you know."
Bakunawa rolled her eyes at me. [Mortal, you were the one who freed me, and I naturally feel indebted to you, so let me tell you something since you seem to be clueless about it…]
Then she pointed at the white blade. [If that forged horn were not attached to your body, you will experience withdrawal symptoms. And you might fall into a state of deprivation depending on how connected you are with Pula. This is why most humans treat their tamed monsters badly, so they won't feel any connections.]
"So they won't have withdrawal symptoms?" I said as the frown on my face deepened.
Bakunawa nodded.
I bit my lower lip, then I sighed in frustration. "I wouldn't even know if you hadn't told me, I actually have no clue that this white blade was made from Pula's horn," I said, clenching my jaws.
Madness started enshrouding my heart.
[Mortal, you don't have to be angry, this horn would not have successfully attached to your body if you treated your Pula badly, right?]
"I know, but I'm still upset," I said.
[Why?] Bakunawa asked, still puzzled.
My eyes narrowed. "Joan didn't tell me."
[Who is Joan?]
"The person who forged this white blade," I said, looking down at the thing attached to my wrist. "I don't even know how to turn it back."
Bakunawa grabs her chin. [Mortal, do you still not know how to control your mana?]
"Yeah," I responded casually, feeling comfortable around Bakunawa. "I mean yes," I corrected.
Bakunawa grin, crossing her arms in her chest. [Then how about this? I'll return the debt back by teaching you about mana, and oh, of course I'll still help you find Pula's family.]
My brows furrowed. "I don't mind, but you said that you'll only help me once, right?"
[Don't get me wrong, I'm helping you find Pula's family not because of the debt I have with you, mortal. I am helping as a fellow sacred beast.] Bakunawa said righteously.
"Okay then, where should we start?" I said.
She grabs her chin. [Well, it's not going to be easy to find this halfling's family. First of all, sacred beasts are forbidden to have love affairs with other races, so I think Pula's parents are probably hiding or possibly…dead.]
I knitted my brows. "Pula said that her red rabbit clan were pursued by humans to be tamed," I said.
[Did she mention anything else? Perhaps their whereabouts?] Bakunawa tilted her head to the side as she questioned me in my mind.
Thinking about it. During my conversation with Pula, she only mentioned everything about what I should look out for. She didn't tell me about anything else in her life.
I hug Pula even closer to my chest, missing her warmth.
I took a deep sigh, feeling only coldness from Pula's body. "No, Pula didn't mention anything else about it. She tricked me to become her master, so she could invade the humans and get her revenge, is what she said."
Bakunawa sighed as well. [Then this is going to be harder than I thought, mortal. It seems to me that Pula's parents or family members are already dead from the way Pula pursued revenge.]
"I don't know," I said, frowning deeply. "I should have asked Pula…" I mumbled, biting my lower lip.
[Well, where did you meet Pula anyway? How did it start? Perhaps we can find some clues about Pula's family there, right?]
"Hmm, give me some time to remember," I mumbled, closing my eyes in contemplation.
If I remember correctly, I found Pula in the murky forest near the Mystic Academy.
I think that place is called Phantom Greenwood, an old forest located at the southeast part of the Eternal Resting Forest near the Mystic Academy. Or so what Alexandra said to me when she trained me there.
It is also where I found the sacred bird, Adarna. Which means that it is indeed probably the place where I could find Pula's family.
I opened my eyes again. "Phantom Greenwood near the Mystic Academy, that's where I met Pula and the sacred bird, Adarna."
[Then we'll start searching there.]