I wasn't able to stop him anymore as he walked like a cat straightway to those guys. My feet remain at the threshold of the blacksmith shop to do as he brags: watch him. "Excuse me," he started, "are you the owner of this slave? If not, you, therefore, have no right to do what you please against him."
One of them responded irreverently, "We're not. And hey, old man, just mind your own walk and denture instead of someone else's business."
My fists formed. I can endure their satire but not for someone I cherish. Cormelio talks back, "I will if you stick your nose out of this kid and my nephew."
"Who the hell is that?"
Another guy barks, "His slave vendor."
Their chortle disturbs anyone who passes by. In my sight, they are grown-ass coconut brains—unable to recognize whom they're talking to. "People like you are worse than slaves. What you're doing is illegal for none of you are the owner of this slave. Any kind of humiliation towards a slave is reserved to their owners. So mind your own jingles and get circumcised," said Cormelio.
To my surprise and worry, he pissed one of those guys off and gave him a fist blow but it missed. Cormelio swipes the man's arm aside and gave him a thrust on the nose through the palm. He kicked the guy's butt then he stoops down because of the pain. Another man approaches with a plank and when he was about to strike Cormelio, Cormelio parried his wrist and booted on his stomach.
He twisted the man's arm to snatch the plank and used it to slam on another man's face, it fell into shreds because of the impact, and the victim was rolled onto the ground. I am astonished as I watch Cormelio take those scoffers down one by one. And now I can't keep my eyes off his stances and motions as I picture everything in my head.
The blacksmith stood by my side and said with his arms folded, confidently, "Did your uncle tell you about how he used to be a capital's knight? He's one of the most dedicated knights in the army. His accustomed job is to capture the violators of the law and naughties on the street of the city. Having his company is one of my best memories." He pulled me through his arm on my shoulder and mumbles, "But his deepest secret... he joined the rank to surround himself with men. He's into them." And then he laughs.
I left with no other words to utter but "Oh..." I figured it out earlier than today.
"You've got a great uncle." He tapped my back. The scoffers are all beaten by an old man and they all flee eventually. And Cormelio was left unscathed. I run toward the slave who was still trembling and knelt down to match his height.
"You look ill. Is there anything we could help with?" I approached. But this girl is dumbfounded, aloof from the crowd. Cormelio hissed at me and told me to leave the kid alone, yet I couldn't after seeing her poor situation. I know how it felt. She must be traumatized. I’ve been longing to tolerate the woman who saved me back then.
But when the knights from the metropolis found her, she was agitated and escaped with haste. I was pushed and my butt hit the ground. The knights are chasing her like a criminal. I later hear the murmurings;
"That kid must be a runaway slave."
"She'll be dead, for sure."
I stand on my feet, eyebrows are curved. It's seldom to see slaves and knights in the metropolis around the countryside.
☪ ✧ ✧
I'm sitting on my swing bed while talking with Acro. "Did you know? Uncle Cor is so cool! He beat those scoffers' asses with his wrinkled arms and legs! Like that!" I demonstrated the beating through her wings and then swaying her in the air. "And you know what's more exciting? He's going to teach me how to do that!"
"I won't go easy on you, Little Devil," Cormelio said while sprinkling the hydrangeas.
"And that's more exciting!"
"Then get excited. You're going on an errand." I jumped from my bed and stood beside him. He gave me a sack of zinnias with a pot inside which made the weight really challenging. "It's an order from a customer. Make sure you deliver it unharmed. And it's twilight. Return home immediately." He lends me a piece of paper where the address of the customer was written.
I'm endowed with confidence when I left the house. Pulling a handcart will make my errand swift and easy. Acro perches on my shoulder to join my errand. I got lost when I set foot on the location which made it necessary for the query. The delivery was successful, I received the payment from the satisfied customer, and left.
The path is dark already on my way home. My energy decreased. When I looked up and beheld the night sky, my march paused. The moon I was aiming to gaze at before is hiding behind the clouds. I'm waiting for it to squint its light. Later on, other than the crickets in the woods, I heard steps on the dried leaves and voices.
I left the handcart to follow the sound. I'm sneaking behind the trees and from a distance. I can see the two knights from earlier carrying a sack together. And then they throw it on the ground. "Leave it to the beasts. I'm weary. We should get going," I heard the knight say. I have a hunch on that sack. I waited for the knights to flee until I found no sign of them anymore.
I walk—careful not to make an obvious sound—towards the sack. Blood is leaking through the scratch. I pulled the hem down and found the flesh of the slave earlier. She's not breathing anymore. The fresh contusion on her skin and torn clothes tells something that this isn’t just murder. I sigh and whisper, "How could they do this?"
They may have different skin colors but I believe they're humans, too. Deserving to be administered by legislatures and humanity. Yet, their life is to escape from the place they were born. And the only escape is death where no unhallowed hand can touch them. But that shouldn't be the protocol.
"I think I know what I can help you." I look around for a tool to excavate. Maybe I could at least give her a decent place to lie down instead of a beast's stomach. But since it's dark, I don't find this easy, especially since I have a decree from Cormelio.
"Who's there!?" I heard a loud authoritative voice and when I looked over my shoulder, it was the knights. They came back! I wave my hands on them to greet them.
"Oh, hey!"
"You must be the owner of the handcart? It's quite impossible to leave it behind. What're you doing here?" They came closer to me with the eyes of suspicion.
"I-It's this kid. I met this kid earlier. Can I at least give her a nice place to rest?"
"It's a waste of time. Wait, are you a slave?" They held their torches closer to my face in order to see me vividly. I waggle my hands and mutter,
"No." They must've no idea in regards to who Cormelio is. "I live around this neighborhood. I have a relative here."
They looked at each other like they both had hesitation. But despite the fact that I'm dark, they told me to go home. "It's getting late. Just leave the brat alone. She murdered her own masters. That's the consequence."
My lips formed a shape but words were left untold. It's better not to insist on my intention. I looked back on the corpse of the slave. In the end, I wasn't able to help. And I missed my chance. "Alright," I said, "I apologize. Have a good evening, sirs!" I tried to pull out the friendly vibes within us and take a walk toward home.
Although sympathetic, I doubt the truthfulness of the murder case the knight said. Or I must be biased. At the present time, I wanted to figure out the occurrences of the slaves in the metropolis. I got to request Cormelio. I'm still a hundred steps away from the handcart when something hit my nape! Sudden dizziness and numbness overwhelmed my body.
I leaned my arm on a tree, slid down, and fainted. Acro flees away before everything turns dark. I lost count of the time. Gradually, I have the ability to hear mumblings. I'm feeling groggy and half-asleep when I found myself being dragged by someone. The dried leaves on the ground are being wiped with me.
"He must be a fraud slave."
"Let's shut this meddler forever."
I tried to move a finger but my body betrayed me. It feels like falling down on a cliff and plunging into a deep cold ocean. It's the actual case! I tried every frisky motion to reach the surface but when I did, a sore ache in my body drowned me! I got a taste of salty water and choked. Still, I'm trying to get away from the deep water and ended up submerged under it.
No matter how much I try to swim up, my body disobeys for languor reasons. Everything feels along the lines of floating in serene and lonesome space. The beauty of the full moon finally shows itself to me... on the bleakness of my death under the wave. I was aiming to reach it with my hand only to figure out what was going on with my body.
My nails refract the light of the moon now that it has become silver and sharp. Nothing plunged into the water but a faceless woman descended before me. All of a sudden, she grabs and pierces her teeth on my neck! I was helplessly swallowing the salty water, fighting back, and eventually, my consciousness vanished… along with the ghost.