"So... you don't like our kind?"
"no.. Umm... How could you tell?"
Admon raised a glass bottle while pointing to Equ's face
"It's clearly written all over your face." He responded and drink the water in the bottle.
Equ starts to gulps when she sees the bottle of water that her thirst just hits very hard at that moment. From yesterday, she drinks nothing but rain water. She planned to drink sea water before but then rain falls so she just get some to drink.
Admon realising Equ's reaction and offer her the bottle with smile and he raised his eyebrow. Equ was slightly uncertain about accepting the bottle but her thirst for water win. She takle the bottle and drink all that contains in it.
"What's you've been thinking, Libria?"
Equ chose to stay silent and not answering the question.
"You sees to be very careful around me, yes?"
"You don't even trust your name to me. How could I trust you?" Equ answered and lean againts the wall the other side of the cell away from Admon.
"Well, you're not wrong. I don't blame you for that." He respond calmly and crossed his arm.
After a subtle silence filled the cell, Admon suddenly say something about getting out from the cell. Equ feel a bit perplexed about how to respond to that but she surely interested since she still not liking this Neko-ajin and want to be away from his as fast as possible. So, she said that she would like to join the escapade.
"You choose to trust me in that, huh?"
"As long as I can get away from you, I'll do everything needed."
Admon gives her a little nod and a chuckles as he could sense the spirit and sincerity in her words.
"Still What actually make a beautiful dog like you throwned in here?"
"EHK?!..." Equ was at loss when she heard the word 'beautiful;' assosciated with her.
She feels even more wierded when in comes from the very person that she just met but feel very weary already. Admon still keeping his calm expression as he continue.
"How dare them do this to a person as feminine as you."
"Feminine? Me! Are you out of your mind wierd cat!" She shouts.
Equ looks away. not to mention on her face starts to grow red and she thinks for herself that she was the most harsh woman she ever met in her life. She just feel like feminine is anything but her.
Equ cant utter any words after that. All she could do is stay silent. All words trapped inside her head but nothing spill out her lips at the moment. Her mind sway way to the memory of her late father. A drop of tear fall of her eyebanks.
The calmness on Admon's face falters immediately seeing Equ's tear.
"Libria, are you okey? Why? Did I say something I shouldn't?"
"Actually..." Equ look at his direction before continueing. "...a lot..."
Equ stated that if she have her axe in her hand right now, Admon will lost his life already. Admon smiled awkwardly at Equ's words that sounds joking but he could sense a heavy feeling grows inside her.
Equ crawls up to the corner of the cell and pull a bale of hay. She lay on her side and use the haybale as the pillow. She feels lethergic after all that happens today and wanted to just have a rest. Admon looks at her for the moment while shaking her head.
"How could she falls asleep in the presence of a person that she doubts with. She's indeed pretty." Admon thinks.
At the same time, Alen was walking around the village with a villager named Thea. Thea was showing him around the village. This was on Alen's request anyway.
""So, in this village, we focused on paddy and wheat field. That was our main economy source." Thea explains as Alen looking at the wide field of rice spread wide in front of them.
Pada masa yang sama, Alen dan seorang penduduk kampung yang bernama Thea bersiar siar di sekitar kampung itu. Thea membawa alen berjalan jalan di sekitar kampung ini atas permintaan Alen sendiri.
Alen nodded and he continued being amazed by the view.
"Ermm... Excuse me... Eren?"
"It's Alen."
"Oh yes, Alen. How long will Alen stay around here?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure myself but Mandien was causing ruckus all over the land and we don't really have anywhere to go really. Plus, the sea was raging all the time around this land. Even if it doesn't, our ship broken." He explain.
As they talk, Thea gesture to a wooden bench by the paddy field and they sit down as they continue.
"Even we somehow manage to get a ship, we still have some member who's not around. somewhere on this land."
"I'm sure you all will be reunited. trust me." Thea said with a smile and she seems very sincere.
Not long after that, Palmer, Thea's father greets them and invited Thea to collecting berries in the hill just the other side of the village. She also ask Alen if he wanted to tag along but he refused since his leg still hurt after the ship insident last night.
Then, Alen slowly walk back while admiring the view again. As he walk, he met Loktah who was walking around the village. Not really sure where he's heading.
"Where you going?" He ask.
"Oh! Alen, I'm jusr asking around if there is any town or city nearby that selling ships around this area. Maybe we can work up the payment and we can continue our voyage." Loktah explained.
"I think that's almost impossible."
Alen then explain about what Thea said regarding the other village that have shipwork already dominated by Mandiens. Loktah have no other choice but to accept what Alen said to him.
"So... Wanna head back?"
"Yes, Wanna tag along, Loktah?"
"Sure, we should tell everyone about this."
They both return to the house and Loktah explain everything to Aknow and Jyeora.
"So, you're implying that we'll pretty much trapped in here for a while or at least... a long time?"
Loktah nodded as an answer. It's becoming a pretty hard time for them all at this point. They have limited amout od choice to pick since Stegi currently a fully Isolated land. They can't getting in and out from here that easily so stay here was one of the best option they had.
After that, a few hours passed, the shipwreck of the Loktah's ship were still there at the beach and it's getting worse from time to time due to the wave that periodically high there.
Loktah was walking around the beach, analysing the situation of his ship to see if there any possibility that the ship could be fixed or just a blank hope. As he look around, he realised Alen was sitting on a stranded tree log not far from him. He seems to be deep in his thought.
Loktah walk up to him and sit down on the log as well and looking to the dark clouds on the sea around the land.
"Ahoy Alen. What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, Loktah. I'm just... worried about my friend."
"You mean that female Ajin?"
Alen was gazing to the horizon as the evening wind blows and greeting their skin. He was walking around the beach for almost an hour but he couldn't find Equ or any sign of her anywhere.
Loktah places his hand on Alen's shoulder and saying that he believe that Equ still alive somewhere/ It just time decided when they will met again. Alen we know about how good Equ at surviving in the wild by her own but it's war happening out there and Equ might be alone.
Back again to Mandien's camp and Equ woke up and get onto her feet again. She saw a bowl of mushroom stew and a bottle of clean water. Equ didn't think much and just eat the food served in front of her.
Equ also realised that Admon was nowhere to be found in this cell that gives her the thought that he were escorted out from this cell but that thought immediately invalid when a guard arrived in front of the cell and pushes him in the cell back with his hand tied to his back.
Admon who was in grovel position raised his face and look at Equ with a smile.
"Oh... Good morning, Libria."
The grossed out feeling return back to Equ as she heard his annoying voice. Admon shifted a bit and get up to sit on the floor to get more comfortable in the situation he was in.
"Um... Don't you want to help me, Missy? This tie is kinda tight."
"Help? you better be that way." she replied and continue eating the stew.
"Ahahaha~ You really know how to joke... Come and help me please, Miss..."
Equ keep ignoring him. Admon keep calling her miss and missy a few times and she keep ignoring her no matter how much he plea her for help.
After almost 15 minutes this situation going, Equ getting more annoyed to him and decided to actually help him just to shut him up. While Equ unties him, she touched his back and he groan slightly for some reason but it sounds genuine pain.
She wanted to lift his shirt but Admon hinders her from doing so.
"No, No Missy, It's not pleasant to lift man's shirt as you want, you know?"
Again Equ ignored his words and finally managed to lift the shirt up. It reveals some heavy wound on his back.
"Eh? What the heck happen?" Equ about the wound that seems fresh and happened like an hour ago.
"Uh... things happened when they took my out for check up."
Equ examine the wound and it seems like it was hit by blunt object. She can't pretty much recognize what causing the wound. She unties the rope at his hand and asked Admon to sit in front of her so she could examine the wound further.
Equ keep asking him to tell her what exactly happen but Admon refusing to tell the light of what really happening. He tried to turn the topic.
"Worry not, we will be free tonight."
"What do you mean?"
Admon explains his plan to Equ that will bring them both out from the camp. He planning to do the plan in the midnight.
He reminds Equ to keep a wide eyes to the surrounding when they take her for medical check later. He adds that this is for her own good.
Not even a minute passes, two mandien guard open the cell gate and bring Equ out for medical check up.
She were brought to a large green tent and two grey skinned women around 40 years old sitting on a chair. They seems to be Mandiens medic or something. One of them checking Equ's physical condition and replaces Equ's bandaid with a proper bandage.
There were sympathy on the woman's face but she say nothing about it. After the check done, Equ were brought back to the cell in the same condition. Her hand tied to her back and get throwned into the cell.
Along the way, Equ learns where her axe was and something that noteworthy like hiding spots and all. As planned, they wait till midnight to excute their escape plan.
...