I thought I was dead, but instead, it was as if I was several meters below the surface. I started to swim upwards, but the water suddenly thickened and turned into a mixture of mud, vomit and blood. I felt like I was running out of breath. I had to get above the surface. After a while, it changed again, this time I was trying to dig myself out of the dead bodies that were covering me. I pushed one of the bodies aside and suddenly light began to shine through the cracks between the bodies. I was almost at the surface. My lungs were burning. My body gradually began to weaken from the lack of oxygen. There was one last body left, but I didn't even move it anymore. I gave up, I would die peacefully in the room in a pile of corpses. The body above me was suddenly pushed aside and the girl I had helped looked into my eyes. Her azure eyes seemed to control the whole world.
Suddenly, I appeared in the darkness again. It was just a dream, but I had the image vividly in my memory. I opened my eyes. I focused. Those azure eyes were watching me. I was on a bed in a smaller house. I silently looked her over to see if she was hurt, she was in a clean white shirt. Suddenly a memory from the last moment I was conscious came into my head. The barely veiled girl helped me to the caravan. I probably wouldn't have minded dying at that moment.
"You pervert!" the girl scolded me and as a bonus she slapped me. A numbing pain shot through my face. I didn't understand how she read it. I laughed, while a pain shot through my stomach.
"You should be able to defend yourself," I repeated back to her. Her cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Says the one who needed a woman to help him up," she paused. "I should have left you there to rot." Her words were sharp as daggers.
"You would do that to your savior?" I pointed out with amusement. An older lady entered the room.
"Have you argued yet?" she asked. We both fell silent. "That's good, because you should be quiet, otherwise your wounds might reopen."
We were apparently in a smaller office. Azure eyes rested on me again. She still wanted to argue, annoyed that I had the last word. The lady placed two cups of tea on the table.
"This will relieve your pain," she said and left the room.
"Why did you interfere in the ambush?" I asked.
"What's your business," she snapped.
"I wonder why you went into a fight you couldn't win. It doesn't make sense to me," I added. "Then at least tell me your name."
There was a moment of silence and she wouldn't say a word.
"Please.?"
The girl hesitated. "My name is Lasin, you?"
I chuckled. "Well, finally a sensible conversation with you, Lasin."
She smiled.
"I'm Daen." She picked up her cup of tea and took a loud sip. I frowned at her, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. I sat up, almost hissing in pain. I won't give her that kind of pleasure. I tried to stand up. I hissed in pain. She looked at me and laughed slightly. I smiled murderously at her. Div didn't burst out laughing. I couldn't get up yet.
"Will you please hand it to me?" I asked desperately.
"Does a little boy need help from a little girl again?"
I would have liked to strangle her.
She moved the table a little closer. "You won't be like a baby, you can manage a few steps, it will only do you good." I stood on the ground and leaned against the wall. I got closer step by step. I was about a step away when she suddenly pushed the table back to its original place.
"You can see that you're good at it." She seemed to really enjoy my suffering. I looked into her eyes.
"Are you kidding me?" She smiled devilishly.
"That's called motivation, so you're not completely incompetent." My legs nearly buckled. I might make it to the table, but I doubt I'll make it back. I made it to the table, then realized I wasn't going to just walk back with the tea in my hands. Lasin sipped loudly again, then set the tea down.
"What am I going to do, I thought you were going to give up," She lifted the cup of tea to my lips. I tried to lean in and take a sip, but Lasin playfully pulled the cup away.
"What do you want from me?" I said angrily. She leaned the cup closer again.
"I'll strangle you in your sleep," I said. She laughed out loud.
"A boy who can't stand up twice, strangles a girl?" she paused. "How realistic." She laughed.
"Yes, a little boy strangles a little girl who can't do anything but be nasty," I repeated. She paused for a moment. Obviously a hit on the head. I leaned over to my mug of tea and took a sip. The pain began to subside almost immediately.
"How did we even get here?" I changed the subject.
"After you passed out, the owner of the caravan came back and took us to a nearby village," she said rather coldly. I slowly walked back to the bed. Lasin took a few steps towards me and handed me my tea.
"Well, you can do it," I remarked. She frowned at me.
"That's the last time, next time I'll pour it on your face." The corners of her mouth turned up.
"What if I could control water magic and I could put it back in your face, huh?" I raised an eyebrow curiously.
"You're not a Zurien or a Ming, so I'd take the risk."
The Zurien are an intelligent marine race who take partial form with various sea creatures, from fish to after many predatory fish. Inland as we are currently, it is almost impossible to encounter any.
"Have you ever met a really powerful mage?" I asked suddenly.
Lasin was probably a half-breed, so while her ancestors may have had magic, she probably didn't. Half-breeds rarely had magic and were lumped in with humans. Mings, on the other hand, often appear at the top of society and have a great affinity for magic. I'm also a half-breed with slightly pointed ears from my Ming origins. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered magic completely. The only thing I'm capable of is a minor muscle strengthening. Magic is divided into external and internal. Internal magic comes from manipulating magic particles inside the body. Many people can use it, but only a few people are able to use it to its fullest. It's mostly used for physical strengthening and acceleration. External magic comes from the individual being able to control external magic particles in the air and use them for various spells. There are fewer such individuals and they are called mages. Anyway, back to question.
"When I was little and lived with my mother, I was walking down the street and suddenly our neighbor's house exploded. The only thing left was one person standing in the middle of the fire," she paused. "Luckily, I ran away, but it scared me to death, and you?"
"I was a child during the Luskar-Detruisian War, so I don't remember much, but I secretly watched a battle on the border once." I took a breath. "Originally, the place was a thin forest, but all that powerful magic created a blood-soaked plain with all sorts of craters."
She raised her eyebrows curiously. "Were you interested in battles as a child?"
I laughed at the thought. "I guess so, but my parents kept me away from it."
"I'm not surprised," she added. We talked for a while longer, and then we decided to continue sleeping. I settled down and stared at the ceiling for a few hours, thinking, then I finally managed to fall asleep. The nanny let us sleep at her place for the night.