Volume 6 : Chapter – 11 : THE BEST DUO IN THE WORLD

A twelve-year-old girl of average height wandered in the streets of the Plum town. Her brown hairs hung freely over her face and a pair of Doberman’s ears stuck out of her head. Attentive to every little talk and details of her surroundings, she walked carefully down the main road.

The main road crossing could have been unofficially designated as the boundary that separated the town working area and her home. Or, rather it was the perfect demarcation in the town where the other side of this road was opprobriously referred to as ⸺the slums.

While walking down the streets, some of the disdainful eyes would follow her and then blankly leave afterwards. These were the people who despised the demi-humans.

But Maia did not care for their prejudiced and hateful stares neither she was afraid to walk down the lane alone and in the most notorious and criminalized part of the town. After all, her home, the orphanage in which she lived in was situated there.

Recently in the town square she had found herself a job for cleaning a huge warehouse. The master of the warehouse had promised her twenty copper coins per week. It was not much, and being a kid no one wanted to give her a job for her in-experience and lacking maturity.

Maia now held out eight copper coins in her hand and sighed deeply.

“That’s what I get for believing in their sweet words!” Maia closed her fist and disappointedly walked alone. She had to continuously work hard these seven days and when the time came for her wages to be paid the master of the warehouse started finding faults with her.

Undeniably, there was no fault in her work itself.

But out of nowhere they claimed that she was a worthless orphan kid and did not deserve more than this. Despite Maia’s protests, her employer shouted on her and talked about passing bad words and false rumours about her in the town. Even threatening a little girl like her, did not burn at their soul.

And the town was meticulously filled with such people. The rising poverty in town and lack of earning opportunities had hit everyone hard.

And finally when people had to resort to crimes to make the ends meet, the situation worsened. Resorting to knives and masks; forever forgotten into the darkness of the towns dark side. People, families, shops vanishing without any sign or tell-tale was a common occurrence and no one would remember their names by the next day.

Since, Maia did not wanted to create a scene and lose her future earning opportunities elsewhere too. She left unwillingly. She too was a part of this town now, whether she was born here or not she did not know. How she ended up in the orphanage was still a mystery and had been there ever since she was a kid.

“Even with this I can buy only a little meat for half the children at the orphanage.” Maia let out another sigh. Tired from all that vigorous lifting and cleaning every corner of the warehouse was not as simple as going for a walk in the garden.

When Maia was about to take a final turn before entering the slums, in the next moment she found her nose beguiled by the wafting tender smell of the barbecue skewers being cooked.

Hot and crisp over a burning coal grill in a nearby shop. The thick smoke and the flickers of the bright burning embers had Maia’s attention for a couple of seconds.

But as Maia had alleged before. The money in her possession was inadequate for such indulgences. Being the elder of all the children at the orphanage, it was unthinkable that she wouldn’t share.

But all they could afford there was a hard loaf of bread and meager soup in the day. There was no appetizing food and a day did not go by when they did not sleep hungry.

“Ay! Young girl. It looks to me like you are in need of help. I have a quick advice for ya! Would you not want to earn a lot of cash by trying your good luck at this bet by playing just a simple game.” A man in red robes with a red clownish outfit called out to Maia from the crowd.

Whether he got that as a hint from Maia’s dazed expression or she was just randomly picked out; but what the question entailed was not that off the mark.

Maia at once recognized, him as the infamous new trickster in town, who would make people bet money on a game and had never lost even for once.

“No. There’s no need. I was just passing through.” Maia denied the request without a second thought. She was least interested in gambling her hard-earned money. The best was to save it and wait until there was enough to buy everyone a hearty meal.

“Oh! Don’t be like that. I can just look and tell. Here’s what I think. I will offer double the amount if you win. Such a golden and high return offer doesn’t show up every time in your life.” The peddler said in a friendly gesture. Putting a table in the center of market with a huge billboard of doubling people’s money he attracted huge attention in the heart of the town.

And the same felicitously optimized promising words froze Maia’s brain cells. Her whole week’s income could have been reproduced in a single game. In addition, she would no longer be subjected to the complaints and babbling of the master of the warehouse. And could possibly buy meat for everyone at the orphanage.

Just the imagery of everyone at the orphanage all sitting together on the table and enjoying their full bowls while complementing Maia for her hard work.

It was only a profitable proposition for her. But Maia was aware of the stakes that she would have to forfeit the money on the off-chance she happen to lose.

A big crowd had already collected in response to the ringing chime bell of the peddler who offered her the deal. By forcing the people of the town’s attention on Maia he wanted to next force her into a position of accepting the deal. Making herself self-aware, and by creating an environment she could become center of attention for. Consequently he was succeeding.

And that’s where the peddler played his next move.

Maia was aware of the game. After all it was the talk of town. Despite the simple rules of the game, he had remained undefeatable. Many lost their stack of coins from day one and everyone wanted to see the peddler lose for once.

People nearby cheered for Maia, for thinking of trying to challenge him and now she could not possibly see a way out of it.

In its place Maia had actually started thinking of abiding by the proceedings of the event and play the game.

“Demi-human girl. Are you daring enough to accept the gamble and entertain this ignoble wanderer like me?” The peddler this time announced with a cynical smile.

“Alright. I will stake eight copper coins. Bring it on.” Maia propitiously answered to the challenge.

Even though she had been a hard-working girl. She did not disapprove these unfair ideas given that they were done under fair and equal rules.

But all of that optimism would amount to nothing if she followed the fishing-line and bait blindfolded which the peddler had cunningly left for her to pick up.

Accepting the challenge was a symbol of her innocence, to be not able to look beyond winning at the game and only seeing the prize. But people of this town were neither of noble pedigree, or academicians and laureates. They themselves had been brought up in a wretched society; that they would abstain themselves from such a golden chance slip-by.

“If you are able to locate this ball hidden under from among these five cups. Then you are the winner. Otherwise you lose. You get one chance to choose per bet you make. Is that clear?” The peddler explained the basic rules as a formality.

“I won’t lose.” Maia said confidently, showing her eagerness to quickly move to the game. She couldn’t wait to go home with her hands full with delicious food.

“You can try as long as you like. That is if you have money and not go under debt in my tab.” The peddler replied unflinching to Maia’s declaration which was met with the subsequent cheers of the crowd for Maia.

The sole reason Maia agreed to the challenge was because recently she had discovered a new power in herself. One day it had manifested in herself out of nowhere and she was in control of it.

Whenever Maia was motivated to do something or on the contrary found herself weak. A power instinct would build up inside her. Magical energy would fill her body, increasing her strength, stamina and speed. Even sometimes her body features would start reforming if she overdid it. According to the nuns at the orphanage it might had been a special trait of demi-humans but they were themselves not sure about it.

But for some reason the oldest Sister had  told Maia to not use this power in public. So, she at least thought it was fine to use as long as others wouldn’t know of it.

And this power even gave her the boost to see things moving slowly. So, finding the ball, no matter under which cup it was hidden under shouldn’t had been that difficult.

“Are you ready?” The peddler asked as he showed a red ball to Maia and put it on display to the huge multitude of crowd for verification and validity. He then placed it in the extreme left cup.

“Ready.” Maia replied in a hush. A strange sensation manifested in her and suddenly every visual information turned into a slow-moving clip. Her eyes focused on the cup which had the ball.

“…3…2…….1.” The peddler and the audience shouted in unison. He sure knew how to catch the audience’s attention and bring maximum of future potential customers to his store by putting on a big show.

Without wasting a second the man’s hand moved in perfect tandem on the board. Each of his hand randomly picking on a cup and moving them elsewhere.

The audience was silent and most of them had already lost sight of the cup with the ball as they watched with their mouth agape. The man was ingenious with his hand movements as people pointed out several of the feints he used to trick others and in doing so they lost their count too.

Some blinked and the next second they knew the cup of their choice had vanished from the mark.

The swapping of cups went on for two minutes without a single momentary pause.  Surprisingly even the sliding of the cups did not so much as produce a screech while moving to give the hint of the ball. Everything became only likelihood and outstretched guesses as time passed and so did the arrangement of cups and more than hundreds of times they might had been shifted and manipulated.

But during this entire time Maia had been carefully watching. She thought it would be easy for her to guess the right cup. But that was not the case, because the man was experienced and he might have known of demi human’s characteristic physical abilities.

Especially when the red ball lacked scent, Maia could no longer depend on her nose but only on what she was seeing in front of her eyes.

Her adolescent untrained eyes shed a small trail of salt water, slowly evaporating on her cheeks. But for these two minutes she had not blinked for once. Her life’s earning and the appetite of the entire orphanage was on the line. Losing was not just a price to pay, but it was something Maia just couldn’t afford.

“Choose your pick.” The peddler said at the same time his hands stopped.

“The second from the right.” Maia whispered without a doubt in her mind. Other people in her vicinity were bewildered to see her confidence, which they did not expected from a young girl.

Maia had not a single indication of uncertainty as her eyebrows furrowed to the center. She had perfectly traced back the cup with the ball during the entire play. There was no way she could miss it.

The man dropped a widening smile as it curved form his one ear lobe to other. His dimples bulged outwardly.

His hands moved to lift the cup which Maia chose as he kept staring at her without looking on the table. The tension was palpable.

“Unfortunately for you, that’s incorrect!” The peddler had a hearty loud laugh as he looked at the dismayed faces of the observers.

But his condescending smile contained a form of achievement against Maia.

“That’s impossible. I am sure of it. There must have been a mistake.” Maia protested as she stepped back a leg in fright.

“But the results are in front of you. You cannot deny what has happened after making bets. If you are trying to run away. Then beware…” The man gave a sharp look at Maia and then moved his head round the huge gathered mob.

Maia realized how everyone was now looking at her and their horrible comments pinched at her heart.

“Brats can’t be honest these days. Toss them in the junk if she doesn’t pay. We had honestly lost our money too.” A jealous man crowed.

“Is she one of those abandoned kids pickpocketing people. She is not well dressed and she is of the beast clan too. Violent savages.”

“These days are pretty bad where small children like her in the slums try to con and become thieves. They should be thrown out of cities right now. I am saying this for the good of city.” A city guard from among the crowd walked forward to intimidate Maia.

These were the same people who mere moments ago were cheering for her. But as soon as she had been declared lost, they had turned on her now. She knew there was no way of leaving without handing over her money.

She puts her hands in her pocket and counting till eight she takes out all the coins in her possession.

The peddler gleamed at those copper coins as his hands extend to snatch them away from Maia. In turn Maia’s little fingers trembled while handing it over.

“Hey you! You should better know someone before you hand out your money to them so casually. Because there is a possibility that they could be dirty cheaters and bad liars.” A voice cut in. Shearing through the scornful murmur of the mob and making them go silent.

“Who dares to?” The peddler sneered.

A human girl from far in the right, in old clothes and just about the same age group as Maia waved her hand up without any worry.

“You should be careful with your customers and how you treat them when you know they have actually picked the right one?” The girl said with a strong disposition that the peddler had to respond.

“You should better keep your mouth shut when you point finger at your elder little girl. Its bad manners to call them liars or cheaters, or have your parents not taught you manners.” The man said contemptuously.

“I never called you one, unless it bells a ring for you.” The girl scoffed and looked straight into the peddlers eyes.

“I have setup this game with all honesty. Everyone saw it with their eyes that the cup does not have the ball inside.” The man beckoned to the crowd.

“Then would you do me a small favour and show us the correct cup right now?” Another argument followed up by the girl. Indirectly addressing the crowd just like the peddler.

“….Let me think about it.” The peddler gulped and started looking here and there. As he felt the pressure of the crowd who started demanding the same.

“I think we should grace the public with your mastery in the game and where your real interests and honesty lies.” The girl then manipulating the ideas of the public from the losing cup and directing it to the winning cup won everyone’s attention.

“I cannot do that. That’s against the rules.” The peddler screamed at the people who jumped forward to look. These were the same men who betted for the maximum times in hopes of winning and still lost every time.

“Then I will just make sure that it happens and people discover how you have so gracefully cheated them all this time.” The girl’s words ended up followed by a gentle breeze and suddenly all the cups from the table went flying back in a disorderly manner.

Though Maia in all this debate found the wind to be pretty weak in actual to make all those heavy cups simply fly away in the most illogical way.

But all said and done, the truth was laid bare as there was no ball in any of the cups. The man fell back and a red ball curved and fell out from one of his lengthy sleeves.

Realizing he had been caught and how the crowd madly reacted to the discovery of his crime. He knew he would be hanged in the town square, even if he survives the beating that is. He had angered many and no one spoke in his favour.

“Damn you brat! I promise I will kill you by my own hands.” The peddler screamed at the human girl who was straight running towards him now.

He then snatched Maia’s money from her hands and took a running stance.

In response the human girl jumped across the table and kicked him in the gut. Knocking him over she picked the money from his hands with a snitch.

“My name is Caige. You are more than welcome to come find me for taking your revenge for ratting you out. But first I would worry more about myself if I were in your position.” Caige who just now introduced herself freely handed over her identity and what more looked like a threat.

As people now surround the peddler’s shop and started thrashing the place. Chaos was perfectly executed as the perfect reaction of her own move.

“You thief! Give back our money.” The angry cries of the mob took the charge and rushed to beat the peddler. Some even armed with wooden logs. Caige in truth couldn’t sympathize with the peddler and left him to suffer alone at the hands of the angry men.

Maia who still watched in awe, didn’t even realize her money being snatched. This was the first time she was being cheated for and she didn’t knew why the peddler would do this. Maia’s mind was too innocent to look for a proper reason for the peddler’s malice. Why would he try to cheat her?

But she couldn’t at once decide or condemn that the man was simply evil. It was not just her, but he would have done this with anyone, who would have fallen for his trick.

A town with uneducated, untalented, reckless and criminals. The peddler had been secretly using a low-level short teleportation magic to shift the ball in a secret pouch of his sleeve during the moving of cups.

Two minutes were more than enough to cast the magic. Under the crowd’s high cheers, he would guise his chant. And when he couldn’t there were, magic circle drawn inside that of the cups and he could simply channel magic in them for the transfer to complete.

“Don’t just stand there. Follow me.” At least that’s what the human girl Caige said.

But she took Maia by her hand and rushed forward before the crowd could stop them from leaving too. The peddler left on his own at the mercy of the people he once cheated so brazenly.

Caige then took a sharp turn at the next corner, from there she took another short route to left leading to a small alleyway. The whole town was filled with them and no good news or outcome ever came out from visiting one.

Pick pocketers, thieves, runaway criminals and people of all criminal background assembled in these places. Maia did not know what she was brought here for. But she could see the girl beckoning with her palm. The eight gold coins perfectly safe in her hands.

Maia taking the hint, picked up the money from Caige which initially belonged to her.

Caige looked around with watchful eyes and when she found no one. A serious expression had taken hold of her.

“Rotten humans! At one second they like to be on the side who are most exposed and support them. But they change sides as soon as they know who is winning.” Caige exclaimed.

While Maia found it surprising as she was for the first time being called vulnerable and at risks.

At the orphanage she was always the best and strongest girl for listening to everything the Sisters taught. At least that’s what Maia wanted to say.

But this time she had failed herself and was almost robbed of her money. And for now she wanted to thank the only person who helped her.

Maia noted down the human girl’s appearance. Caige was good-looking and even with her poor clothes, she could be passed off as refined and elegant. Something that Maia lacked.

“My name is Caige. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I am Maia.” Maia introduced herself hesitantly. She was still shocked by what had happened few moments ago.

Caige smiled. “So, why don’t we talk about my share for helping you out.” Caige said pointing out four fingers at Maia.

“Thank you for helping me out.” Maia unable to understand what Caige actually meant, she still went and thanked her.

“Ah!!!” Caige frowned pushing her finger against Maia’s forehead. “This is not how it works. Don’t you know you are supposed to offer me a prize. Nothing comes free here. Not even help. Unless you want to get robbed again.”

“Waaahhh… Really. Isn’t a thanks enough. At the orphanage the Sisters would always say that those who help others are always rewarded by the Gods.” Maia was a bit surprised there herself but proudly preached the Orphanage’s teachings.

“Are you that dense?” Caige angrily pushes her finger and drilling it through Maia’s forehead. “If prayers can really fill your tummy or make me rich. Then we wouldn’t be doing this here. Now hurry up!”

“….hhhhh…hhhh…” Maia’s eyes squinted as she pulled back her hand. She did not wanted to lose her money again after she got it miraculously back. Putting up a weak resistance she held her hands with the coins tightly enclosed in her fingers close to her heart.

Caige stared for a while, and it looked as if Maia was about to cry. She already had enough for the day.

With a final strong flick of finger on the forehead which made Maia groan, Caige turned around and said, “I see. It cannot be helped then.”

“Are you really ok with this.” Maia still rubbing her forehead asked.

Caige looked back and this time with a wondrous smile and filled with high spirit she clapped her hands together. “Just buy me some sweet buns and we will be good. I know a really good place that sells it at a good price. If you want you can come together with me.”

“Alright.”

The two were now on their way to the shop but neither of them spoke to each other.

“That will be two copper coins for four sweet buns.” The shopkeeper said.

Maia gave them two coins and received a small packet with the buns.

Maia who had only ever eaten bread found this meal too extravagant but she had to keep her word nonetheless.

“Here.” Maia held the packet in front.

Caige grabbed it from Maia’s hand as if she had been waiting hungry for this since forever. Unsealing the packet at the spot she took out a bread, her eyes shone.

Chomp! Chomp!

“I am glad I could get the fresh batch they make on time. They are still hot and the cream has not dried up.” Caige kept on nibbing until she finished one. Her hands moved to pick another.

But a stare closed in on her face.

“What’s it this time?” Caige said trying to hide the packet on her side.

“I have only ever eaten simple bread at the orphanage which the baker leaves for us sometimes.” Maia said as she beheld her fascination to this unknown sweet aroma coming from the sweet buns.

“Is that so…” Caige couldn’t help but realize those were most probably the stale one which no one would buy. And everyone already knew in the town that the orphanage was in the red. Since this part of the Demon Continent was a free region, they did not receive any state help. And donations were a far cry in a backward town.

Maia’s eyes ravaged the sweet bun in her imagination and Caige did not want that to traumatize her or leave her having a bad taste in her mouth.

“I will share just half…” sinful eyes still staring… “Fine just take one.”

“Thank you.” Maia cried as she took her first crunch from the bed.

“Isn’t it good!” Caige praised her own recommendation.

“It is. It really is sweet and I never knew the bread could be this soft. I will work hard so that everyone can eat this at the orphanage.” Maia said with a renewed spirit after she had been so down with the previous incident. It made Caige happy too that she had still not lost her will.

“I am glad. Next time just don’t get stupid ideas and fall for those two-faced deceiving schemes.”

Maia pouted but Caige kept on laughing as they together walked out of the shop.

The two learned of how each lived in the slums and Caige’s house was not that far from the orphanage.

“Maia, I will be leaving. I still have work to do.”

“Okay goodbye.” Maia waved hands back at her as she decided to go back to the orphanage to help around.

Caige saw Maia walk away and as usual she was left alone. She had been living alone in this town ever since she had come here. She would move around town helping people with all kinds of odd job whether good or bad and charging up money for her services. Sometimes she would earn a lot and sometimes she would catch nothing.

Every day was a battle she fought alone. Never getting close to anyone.

But today for the first time she had asked someone to be together and at least tag along to the shop. She did not know why she proposed to take Maia with her when she could have gone there by herself.

Was it because Caige felt pity for her…

Or, was it because she found her so pure and innocent, unlike herself that she could not resist the temptation of staying with her. Or push her away from having over to get Maia hurt again by this ruthless world.

Caige exposed to all cruelties, threats and malice… just couldn’t watch Maia to suffer from something like this again and felt responsible to keep her safe.

“I might be thinking too much. And this pain…” Caige cried inside herself as the torturous aching returned back. She had used a small portion of her skill on the cups and to push back the peddler from escaping. But activating a skill without having magic, it used her life energy. And it would end up only slowly eat away her life.

“Just using a little magic weighs so much on me.” Caige decided to take the day off from hunting on the streets and returned to her home. Or at least she called it one when it was just a bunch of logs she brought from the nearby forest and using a rusted steel plate picked up from the scraps as roof. A small room big enough to lie down on a matting over a trunk in which she kept her belongings.

Little did she knew that using that one simple word ‘together’ would have changed the course of her life forever.

.

The next day Caige learnt that the con-man was beaten to death and thrown out of the town. His name and sketch was shared everywhere for his crimes and he no longer could gain people’s trust again. Simply, put his life was finished.

Now Caige was back on work looking for places where she could put her brains to use. All the knowledge that she had gained was from the huge library she had back at her family place before being abandoned.

But on her way she crossed paths with Maia again who in turn was also looking for work. After a few seconds of talk, they were now job hunting ⸺together.

How did this happen, who was the one to first propose this idea neither of them knew. But they walked around the whole town now, telling each other what they knew about this place.

Most of the time it was Maia who loved talking about the kids at the orphanage and playing with them.

And sooner than later the next day they were working together in a hotel helping around the kitchen. Caige sat on the floor chopping down a lot of vegetables which their employer just threw at them.

Caige wondering how she could be doing this. She wanted to live free and for that she needed a lot of money, which this work would have never fetched even if she worked for hundreds of years continuously. At least that’s what she had learned the moment she had stepped out in this world.

But here she was sitting and chopping down vegetables. It was not that she considered this job beneath her. What Caige wanted was freedom of life.

She didn’t need money to buy things. She wanted money to be free.

And such freedom is expensive, when everyday she had to live in fear of getting her life stolen, if she does not steal herself.

But on the other hand no matter what occurred. Maia was honest with her work. Even if the employer had pushed a lot of bulk load on her. She worked perfectly quiet cleaning the dishes, the kitchen, chopping down all the vegetables and now was helping Caige with her share.

She was kind, pure and strong.

So much that Caige couldn’t help but be mesmerized into thinking that Maia deserved more than this. That one day the two would go around the world, live a happy life and do every fun things ⸺that friends did together.

Caige had now started seeing a friend in Maia. Something she couldn’t believe she would do herself. Everyday deciding to quit feeling that, on the other day the two were ⸺together eating sweet buns, collecting herbs in the forest on a request.

And on the third day Caige was playing ⸺together in the orphanage with Maia and the other kids. After all Caige was no different than them, an abandoned child.

On the fourth day Maia wanted to look around Caige’s house and was invited after a bit of push on her account  by Caige.

“Caige where are your parents?” Maia asked. She was usually the only one who talked so much about herself that she never noticed Caige spoke too little of her past.

“I don’t have them.” Caige showed no emotion.

“And you live here alone in this place. It could get blown away in a storm.” Maia pointed out looking at the shabby roof Caige had built using big leaves and tied them together to the poles.

“You are right. A month ago I had to put back the left wall after it crashed in the storm and the roof does leak in rains. And I live alone.” It weighed little on Caige for explaining this and Maia being just a kid at heart couldn’t see that Caige never saw this place as her home. It only existed as her refuge.

Either she would abandon it one day and shift to a better location or one day she would never be able to make it back here. Afterall kids cannot survive in the outside world alone when they could have been someday kidnapped only to be sold to slave traders or lost her life on a risky job.

Its just that her name wouldn’t be the first one on such a list.

“Caige, I know. Why don’t you come and live in the orphanage. I am sure the Sister would allow if we explain and the kids would love having another big sister like you.” Maia held Caige’s hand and she smiled awaiting her response.

Until then, Caige had never let her guard down or let her emotions take control of her to what she said. But now she had to make a choice. The fear of making that choice haunted her from day one when she just wanted to be friends. The choice of ⸺

Either becoming Maia’s friend, and lose her dream.

Or, lose Maia’s friendship and keep chasing after her dream.

Caige who had always been a rational thinker. The kind who always think from her mind and not from her heart.

She made an irrational choice. She did not need her mind or feeling to partake in such an arduous decision. Because when it came to becoming free Caige’s body moved on its own.

“I am sorry Maia but I can’t.”

Rejecting the only place where she could assure her safety in a secure location like an orphanage.

And from that little conversation sparked a series of arguments between Maia and Caige.

Maia kept on insisting like a little girl for Caige to come along with her and Caige always gave the same answer with little to no reason.

For the first time she made a rather less profitable decision losing the safety and happiness of being with Maia she chose the treacherous path of following her dream. Whether she would achieve it or not, not even those far-sighted astrologers and fortune tellers could be able to guess.

And when people make such a disjointed situation. They are devastated on what they are about to lose. It becomes difficult to breath due to anxiety. And at the end there is always an explosion.

“Maia can’t you understand. I can’t stay with you there.”

“But why? We are friends and I want to help you?”

“You think you can really help me. Can’t you see. I cannot continue like this.” Caige wanted to keep herself quiet. But her heart reacted at the worst moment, because now it throbbed and pained even more after being locked and kept away for this long.

“What are you talking about?” Maia asked worriedly.

“Can’t you see I have always been more intelligent and sharper than you. And what we are doing is not enough for me to achieve what I want. I am sorry I cannot come with you. So, please leave.” Caige shouted at the top of her voice.

And when Caige looked up, she knew she had broken the last of her bonds with her own hands. The tears in Maia’s eyes, were evidence that this time it was Caige herself who had betrayed her own friend’s expectation.

Maia did not say a word and left.

“Maia wait… I did not wanted to…” Caige pulled back her hand because she was now in tears herself. Not because she could not hold back her words or keep her mouth shut.

But because what she said was what she actually believed. And it made her hate herself even more. Disgusted by what she was becoming or the world was trying to force her into becoming one.

.

The next day. As usual Maia left for work to the restaurant. She had bene eagerly waiting for Caige to show up. She had always been on time but today she was nowhere to be found on the street or the meeting spot.

“She might have already gone to work. I will say her sorry there. After all I might had bene too forceful with her. Even I would get mad if someone asked me to leave the Orphanage. Caige should have her own choice where she lives. She is smarter than me and would know the best.” At least that’s what Maia had been saying to herself since she had left Caige’s house.

But the saddened expression on her face, had made everyone panicked in the orphanage. Because Maia had always been the source of sunshine and happiness there. Seeing her sad in turn made everyone at the orphanage worry.

Unfortunately, Caige did not show up at the workplace and so Maia had to work alone.

“Did your friend not come? There are no holidays here. Should I kick her out?” Their employer complained and shouted at Maia.

“Sir, please don’t. She might not be well and she has nowhere else to work and earn money.” Maia apologized.

“So, do I need to be her nurse now. Who would do her share of work?” The employed babbled.

“I will do it. But please don’t kick her out.” Maia begged.

The employer glared at the beast girl, Maia.

“Good with me. But just so you two brats know I will have to pull down you wages. So, hurry up and get back to work.” The employer laughed and left.

.

On the other hand Caige that day had decided to not go to work. She was still unsure of how to face Maia.

“I have said so many mean things to her. But I don’t want to end things like this. I would be no better than the people who betrayed me.” Caige kept on ransacking her brain to think of the best way to at least make up with Maia even if she decides to leave her after her outburst.

She aimlessly walked in the alleyways of the town where only the walls whispered. Too peaceful, more than necessary.

“Ha-hahaaha. I finally found you. Bitch.” A figure from the shadows jumped in front of her.

A battered face with red bruises a broken leg and a missing arm did not remind Caige of anyone matching this messed up appearance. But she exactly knew what they could have been here for…

“Had it not been for your voice I wouldn’t have recognized you.” Caige said with a bold face. And when she looked around she was surrounded from everywhere by men with weapons.

“Its thanks to you that I have to suffer through so much pain.” The man let out a rasping shout.

“The people really took it out on you. A leg lost just for your cheap magic tricks. I would have liked to play a game with you right now. But no, thanks for nothing. Not because I pity you for your broken hand but I have more important things to worry about. Do not blame me, because you deserved it.” Caige’s awful speech riled up the man. While she herself started walking away.

A tall looking man with fierce looks and a strong build blocked her path.

“That saves me a lot of trouble to remind you for what I am here for. And you won’t be leaving from here, not until I want. I said I will kill you. Remember. But that would be too easy a death for you.” The man sneered; his sunken, beady eyes were glinting with a familiar look of madness.

“So you think you would bring men and try to scare a little girl.” Caige said to the peddler, whom she exposed and also the place where she met Maia for the first time.

“You are no kid, when you completely destroyed and toyed with my life. I will make you crippled and keep you beating every day. Put you on display everywhere in public, in circus or even better make you to beg on streets. That prideful face would then not ask me for my forgiveness. But you will be only begging kill me. Kill me. Kill me.” The peddler signaled towards the men he hired to capture Caige.

And just when the person behind her tried to grapple her.

Caige was forced into using her skill once again. Pretending to push away the man, her skill activated for a second and then primarily shut down due to absence of magic. But that was enough to push the man away against the wall.

“Don’t let her escape. Chase after her.” The peddler yelled at his hired men.

That was her only chance to run and so did Caige ran at full speed. She never expected a revenge plotted against her. Especially now when the pain of using her skill came back to her. She had to slow down and also because she was not the athletic type.

The only advantage of her there being that she knew the alleyways too well. But that was only enough to buy her a little time. The central streets were still far out of reach. If she could only make it there, then the peddler won’t be even able to touch her.

But then a metal rod came flying from the back and hit at the joints of her legs.

“Gaaahhh…. MAIAAAAA….” Cage screamed in pain as she fell to the ground. her last of words unbeknownst addressed to the only name she could remember in her time of need. Or was it the guilt that she would never get the chance to apologize.

Her head had hit the ground hard, and a trail of blood sullied her eyes.

Everything pulsated into slow motion as her vision was growing weaker while her heart pumped blood even faster.

She turned her head in her fallen state and could see the man draw his sword. Approaching slowly, wincingly scraping the tip of his sword along the ground. He then swiveled his head at Caige’s neck to stare at her like some kind of grotesque creature.

“Eeeh! Eeeh!! That’s what brats like you get for going against me.” The peddler doubled in laughter. His appalling looking face a mask of pure bliss.

The sound sent involuntary chills throughout Caige’s body as she shuddered and crawled on the ground to move.

Caige thought to keep him busy by talking, but seeing that she could be killed any moment, she would have to die alone. Without letting Maia know what had happened to her.

“You filthy rat! How long I have waited for this. Wanting to see you beg for mercy. Beg and I might just kill you without doing anything to your body. Maybe the people will take pity and bury you after I throw you on street murdered in cold blood.”

Caige’s thoughts raced, trying to find a way out of this desperate situation. She gritted her teeth, almost with a sense of hope that everything would end soon and she would no more have to keep running.

But…suddenly, an unbearable fear seized her heart. She had gotten attached to Maia so much that the thought of leaving her behind in this twisted and insane world scared her for her life.

And just when he tilted his thin body backward and about to take a huge swing.

Caige flicked a small knife which she always hid under her garb. She could only use her hand and although she was aiming for her neck. Her blurred vision reduced her accuracy and the knife flew off-line, sinking into the peddler’s left arm.

“That…hurts…I am really going to kill you now.” He hollered in pain as he pulled out the knife and blood encroached his arm.

A heavy, thick layer of fog enveloped Caige’s mind after her last resistance. She was still losing blood from her wound in the head. Seeing the man brandish his sword again as it glimmered in the sunlight.

“Now die! Dieeee!!” the man shrieked.

A burst of wind shot through the air.

A wind coloured in a red zapping light.

“Wha—? Huh…?”

The peddler looked up with a scream of surprise, then went flying through the air with his sword. Caige stared silently at the figure that had descended in his place and punched through the attacker’s abdomen with a single blow.

“…I found you, Caige…I am here. You called for me.” Maia’s voice trembled as she crumpled over the wounded Caige. Her lips quivering, she squeezed her hands tight. But her eyes wide and red with anger. An expression which she never though Maia would have been capable of.

Caige was surprised to see Maia out of nowhere. But then she remembered how she had yelled out her name when she was hit for the first time.

“I am sorry. I am sorry! For what I said to yesterday.” Caige’s voice was weak and fade.

.

Three minutes ago…

.

Caige was dumping the garbage in the back of the shop when her keen ears picked up a familiar voice. She could have simply overlooked it as an illusion but ignoring that voice which in few days had meant so much for her… was unacceptable.

Maia’s instincts screamed at her that something was wrong. That she needed to move no matter what and quick.

It was the first time this sort of urgency pushed Maia past her limits, her beast transformation took complete control and she was giving off an electric red aura from her body. Her limbs filled with magical energy she jumped to the rooftop and dashed through the place.

Her ears exactly knew the direction from where the noise came and she was drawn to it like a tiger following its prey.

This also meant that in barely two minutes, she had covered  half the distance of the town. It was an impossible feat, faster than a flying magical beast could ever achieve.

But here Maia was by Caige’s side, her hairs seemed longer than usual and her bone muscles grew tight and broad. Even her nails had hardened and become sharper.

“I will not let anyone harm you.” Maia nodded at Caige.

“Kill that girl too. She is also to blame for this. I would have gone after her when I would had been done with this girl. But finding you two together, makes my blood boil.” The peddler jumped up from his cramped state.

The men following his orders ran at Maia with their weapons, hoping that she only got past her because they were taken by surprise.

But they were moving too slow. At least in Maia’s eyes they could had been depicted to be in a frozen state.

Another dash of red lightning and Maia disappeared from everyone’s eyes, only a trail of quick red light drew a line along each men.

A simple punch from Maia and they were on their knees.

““Bwaah!”” The four men who the peddler had hired were now unconscious and the weapons in their hand fell to the ground.

“Useless bunch and they call themselves bandits. I will kill you two with my own hands.” The peddler picked his sword back as he ran towards Maia.

Maia did not move from her place. She waited and focused all her energy into her palm.

“Die….Dieeeee…” The man jumped in madness as he swung down his sword on her.

Maia raised another swift horizontal punch and the sword crumbled into metal chunk pieces, shattering like glass.

“Hrrg…Aaagh!” The peddler next faced a full turn-around kick form Maia straight at his chest. Bashed against the wall and knocked out. Most probably ending up with several bone fractures and rib cage damage from the crackling sound of his brittle bones.

“Caige are you alright!” Maia turned around with a thumbs up and a wide smile on her face. Her body features returning to normal.

Caige now had a newfound realization. She did not need to protect Maia. What she needed in actual was a companion? Someone with whom she could share her heart and her dream.

Caige knew, Maia could have been the only one. But she had lost even that little chance she had with her.

“Caige…” Maia called out again as she saw her hiding her face.

“I’m sorry. I…I don’t have the right…to even…see you anym… but you still saved me putting your life in danger.” Caige hid her face behind her arms.

“You are bleeding.” Maia tore a part of her dress and quickly tied it around her head.

Caige desperately raised herself from the ground, finally in control of her body again. The damage she had suffered still left an unpleasant numbness.

And then came the warm feeling as Maia casually hugged her.

“…!”

“The Sisters at the orphanage always do this whenever we got hurt.” Maia said in a calming motherly tone.

Caige stiffened and tried to use her hands to push Maia away for a second, but seeing how tightly Maia held to her slender body.

She stopped resisting.

Caige let out a trembling breath and then whispered, “I am truly pathetic for saying such mean things to you when in truth I am the one who got beaten up so badly.”

“You don’t need to say any more. I know I cannot be you, but I always wanted to be your friend from the day I met you.” Maia held Caige tightly, listening to her breathing as they calmed down.

After that Maia tied the four men and the peddler with a tight rope and dumped them in a dustbin along with the garbage which Maia had to take care of otherwise.

The two were now on top of a roof because Maia wanted for Caige to have some fresh air to make her feel better.

A chilling wind touched their faces that suggested the coming of winter.

Caige turned straight to Maia smiling unconsciously. She just didn’t want to be apart from her.

“Maia I really want you to understand how I feel!?” Caige looked intensely resolute.

“Yeah!” Maia responded affirmative.

“It’s not our fault that we were born under unlucky stars. If we are poor then we just have to accept it. People are like that way too where they butter the strong while sneer at the weak. But it doesn’t have to always be the same. We will together change our fate. With my knowledge and genius, and your strength. Together we can do wonders. Maia…”

“Yeah!” Another militaristic affirmative as if Maia could hear those parading pompous drill song in her ears.

“Together we will scam this whole world and claim all of its richness as ours.” Caige grabbed her fist tightened.

Maia could feel the bright warm light that shone straight from Caige’s powerful soul, meant to guide them, which now they had to walk together holding hands to achieve their dream.

Alone it was almost impossible,

But together, they were invincible…

Maia was speechless. She had never seen Caige so resolved and she wanted to be part of her dream and there with her. Whether a day would come when they had achieved their day or they crumble and fall apart.

“I promise even in your happiness and sadness. I will be always there to keep you safe and there for you until the final moment.”

‘And I promise I’ll protect you, too. I’ll be here for you forever. Just don’t leave me…’

***

[ Caige Skill Card ]

{Next Chapter : Forebearer of Chaos }

{ Volume 6.5 - click here }

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